A New Age
by Missjo1988
Summary: His father's men had no idea what they were dealing with. The attempt on his life made the Saiyan Prince livid. With both the elites and the lower class divided and tensions rising who will decide the fate of the Planet Vegeta. Who will come out on top the King or the Prince? Alternate Universe.
1. Chapter 1

_Before you start reading this is a sequel to another fic I have finished, Tales of the Forgotten, but you really don't have to read it to understand this fic. Basically Raditz and Tarble are geniuses and Kakarot never went to earth and became an elite saiyan, also Frieza and his entire family are no longer a threat to the universe. I know horror is not everyone's cup of tea so I'm not going to do much back tracking in this story. It will be its own story, just with a couple of throw backs to the other story._

 _I am planning on making a separate reality chapter of this series along with this series. This reality will have not have Vegeta going to Zera's home and will be an alternate version of events. It will basically be Raditz and Tarble all alone in Zera's house of horrors._

 _Raditz is 13, Vegeta is 12, Tarble is 9, and Kakarot is 8. I know that they are kind of young but remember these are Saiyans, lol._

 _But anyway on to the story._

* * *

Vegeta cringed as he looked down at his dinner. It wouldn't have been so bad, but tonight his father was watching him from the other side of the table.

"Vegeta, you need to eat." His father pointed out, but he refused. He was waiting. Tarble was late.

It had been 3 years since the laboratory had been completed. Both Tarble and Raditz seemed to be distracted by all of their experiments, not that he was complaining about that. He was rather happy, even though he didn't show it. Unlike his brother who could be smiling often as he worked. It almost made him forget that Tarble was a cold blooded killer, but no one needed to know that.

He was pulled from his thoughts as his little brother walked into the room, covered head to toe in grease. He had to be working on some kind of engine.

"Tarble, clean yourself up. A prince does not walk around looking like a dirty commoner." He glared at his father. This was coming from the coward that never got his hands dirty in battle.

"Tarble just sit down." He said flatly, Tarble looked over at him and smiled. He could feel his father's glare from across the table, but he didn't care.

Ignoring his father's order and listening to Vegeta, Tarble jumped up on to one of the chairs, as a servant dropped a plate of food in front of him. With that out of the way he began to start on his own food.

"So Tarble, anything new today?" He could still feel his father's glare and was just ignoring him. He would rather hear Tarble go on and on about techno gamble than listen to his father go on and on about his role as a prince. He knew he was a prince and he was already loved by the people, he didn't need any more than that.

"Raditz came up with a new fuel this morning and I started on an engine that could use it. We also got the new recruits on their stations today. Also the older recruits have been working on a new kind of armor and we may have a new way to give you guys' rations on the field. They'll be smaller because they are in pill form, but if you add water or an additive it will grow. We need a taste tester, I don't want to send it out without it tasting good."

He smirked. "I'll send you a couple of block heads from team C." He was picking at his food, more interested in what Tarble was saying.

He heard a garbled cough from down the table, but ignored it. He almost laughed when Tarble followed suit.

"Speaking of Raditz, how has he been lately? I haven't seen much of him."

"He's fine. He practically lives at the lab."

Now he laughed. "And you don't?"

Tarble smiled up at him. "Well can you blame us? It's like you being thrown into an all-out brawl. Incredibly satisfying."

"Speaking of fighting, both Kakarot and I will be off planet for a couple of days. I have to speak to those delegates from the Galactic Council."

Tarble cocked an eyebrow at him. "What does that have to do with fighting, brother?"

He crossed his arms. "You never know, someone always wants to pick a fight with us. I swear that delegate from Yuptom last year thought his body guard could take Kakarot, as if that dolt stood a chance." At first he had been a little unsure about training Raditz's younger brother, but the boy had proven his worth several times over.

He heard a loud thud and finally looked over to his enraged father. "You will take Nappa, I don't understand why you feel that you need to take that third class scum with you over our elite soldiers."

He glared at his old man. "Well considering that Kakarot has been trained to my standards, I trust him more than your flunkies." He threw his napkin down on his plate. "I believe I'm finished." He turned to Tarble to find the boy's plate empty.

"Yeah, I'm done too. I think I'm going to get all of this gunk off."

He could hear their father fuming as they left down the hall. He really didn't care he was tired of that man's bullshit. A man like that didn't deserve to be the King of their people. He wondered how long his father's life would last, as he already had plans for when he took the thrown. The first thing he would do would be to remove the restrictions of the elite class, elite would be an earned title, and no longer would you be able to be born an elite. You would have to fight your way to the top. It would be fair. Even the third class could produce powerful soldiers, Kakarot had taught him that.

They reached their room in no time. After they faced off against Zera, he knew Tarble had nightmares, so he decided to share his room with him, much to his father's dismay. Years later Tarble no longer had nightmares, instead embracing the experience he had, but they still shared the room. Even with the castle being rather large, they found it was much easier to keep thinks this way.

He has also began to notice that the guards were watching him a lot lately. Tarble was the one to point it out surprisingly.

He entered the room with Tarble following him. He was about to nod his brother off to the shower, but saw his brother's serious expression.

"Brother, something is not right." Tarble crossed his arms. "I think dad is planning something and I don't like it."

He smirked down at his brother. Tarble's senses seemed to grow every day. "We'll just keep our guard up then, I'll tell Kakarot to keep his guard up as well."

"It didn't help that he sent that bald shithead over to the lab earlier."

He felt his eyes twitch. "He sent Nappa over to the lab?"

"Yeah, I think he thought that no one saw him, but Raditz did and he noticed that some of the documents have been pondered with."

So his father sent the bald puppet over to possibly sabotage the lab. "Do you think he found anything?"

"Raditz thinks that the moron couldn't find his ass if someone pointed it out to him. Luckily for us, he only looked over old plans. The stuff that Raditz and I ruled to be obsolete."

He could only smirk at Tarble's tone. In his younger days he would have been surprised to find his little brother cursing, but now a days it was normal. He would never say it but he preferred his brother this way. He had the confidence that every Saiyan should have, instead of bowing to the needs and wants of their father. Instead he found it hilarious that Tarble ignored the man in the same way that his father once ignored him.

"I would look over the office again, make sure that bumbling idiot didn't find anything." He didn't mean for it to sound like a direct order, but it was getting harder for him to hold back his anger.

Surprisingly Tarble seemed to understand this, not cowering back an inch. "That's why I'm leaving early, Raditz and I are going to go over every station before the others get there. It's a lot easier to look over everything when the lab isn't packed with people."

"Good." He said letting his mind calm. "Now why don't you clean yourself up? I bet the squads on duty can smell you from here."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going. I really need to come up with a better cleaner, this oil is almost impossible to get out of my clothes."

"I'd be more worried about your hair. Those black lab coats hide it at least." He gripped, falling back onto the bed.

"True, but it still makes me go through clothes at a faster rate."

"We'll finish this conversation later, get that shit off of you." He threw a pillow across the room, only to find Tarble already gone. He would take forever in there, as he said the oil never wanted to come off.

He sighed as he left his bed behind, going out to the balcony. The moon was gone for the night, but the stars blanketed the sky. Instead of focusing on the sky above, he looked over the city below. Someday this would all be his. Every single Saiyan on this planet would look to him and he would lead them to victory. It didn't matter that he was young, he already knew. These were his people and he would do anything in his power to make the Saiyan Empire expand. He would rule more than just this ball of dirt. He would rule them all.

* * *

Raditz sighed, he didn't like this. That bald idiot was in his office and he knew what the man was looking for. Too bad he wouldn't find anything. He and Tarble never left anything confidential lying around. The obsolete files were only things that he and Tarble had rejected or they found something better before starting the project. Every current file was kept with him at all times, both him and Tarble had made their watches only a couple of weeks after they got back. They were not only password protected, but you had to have some DNA and a fingerprint to get in. Tarble had even made them water proof so they had no problem of them malfunction on the job. He had thought about shredding the old plans, but both he and Tarble had thought it better to keep them around, just in case there was an idea that could be used from them. So far that wasn't the case. They were basically trash.

He groaned again, feeling a massive headache coming on. Reaching around his head, he removed his blue sash from his forehead. He smiled as he looked down at the gift his father had given him when he had returned home.

Even now it felt like that time was just a strange dream, well not really a dream, more of a nightmare. He cringed a little as he looked down at his hand. He had removed his fingerless gloves earlier and he could see the burned inscription that still lingered on his skin. No matter what happened in his life, he would never forget her. Her crazy smile, her insufferable rage, the way she used to drag her fingers through his long hair, the way she would stare at him, he would never be free of her entirely. She would always be in his mind, even though it had been 3 since then.

His life had definitely changed when he returned. His mother kept checking on him, he wondered if she still believed this was a dream and that he would disappear again. His father no longer looked down on him, but instead looked rather proud of him. Then there was Kakarot, he swore that child had too much energy. He was glad he convinced Vegeta to take over his training. He could only imagine what damage his brother would do to the underclass squads at the training center.

Vegeta did say he was surprised at Kakarot's raw potential. Now a days you would always find the prince with his brother by his side, but the truth could be said of him and Tarble. His father liked to brag about that and he really couldn't blame him. It wasn't every day that you would find royalty with those from the third class, heck the second class didn't even get that close, but there they were. You would always find one of Bardock's sons flanking the princes. Often walked side by side, rather than following them. Rumors had already started that his brother would end up as Captain of the Royal Guard, basically Prince Vegeta's right hand man when he took the thrown. While Tarble and himself ruled the laboratory.

He was thrown by this thoughts as Kakarot snored away, he had a big mission up ahead anyway and would need his rest. The boy was only 8 after all. He picked up a book from the side of his desk, looking it over again. He still couldn't believe that he had made it to 13. He had always thought that he would die in that hell hole.

He sat down the book and stood, he knew he had to get some sleep to, he did have to search the lab in the morning.

He walked over and turned off the light before flopping down on his bed. Tomorrow would be a new day.

To Be Continued….

* * *

Authors Note

So this is the first chapter of many. This series will update on Sunday and Monday's while I am in school, but other stories will update on Friday and Saturaday. Anyway thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

He turned over, looking to the window. The sun was still hidden under the horizon. It was perfect. He wouldn't see any other Saiyans at this hour.

Having taken care of his shower the night before, Raditz dressed, adding his headband last.

Before he left the room, he looked over to Kakarot. If he were anyone else, he probably would have laughed. Kakarot head was dangling off the bed, he was practically hanging upside down. Snoring off to the side. He would have to remind his mother to move him, but he didn't have the time.

He almost ran down stairs. Stopping in the kitchen for an energy drink. He would need it today. He was about to close the fridge when he heard a knocking noise. He whipped his head around to find his father standing there. He had just returned from a mission.

"So, you're up early." Bardock said, before sitting himself down at the table.

"Yeah, I got some work to do at the lab, Tarble is meeting me there." He said quickly. He couldn't stay long.

Bardock squinted his eyes at him, he could see the suspicion in them. "But it's still dark. I know the two of you can't become Ozaru, but nobody is running around. Why not wait for your mother to come down and get some breakfast?" Even after all this time his father felt guilty. Guilty about what happened to him. Because of this, the guy wanted to spend more time with him, but he had work to do.

"Sorry old man, I can't get out of this." He looked down at his watch for a second. He turned around waving before he left. "Oh before I forget, someone better fix Kakarot, he's about to fall out of bed."

With that he strode out the front door. Leaving his father there with a dumbfounded look on his face.

He made his way down the dead streets. He had always thought that being born without the Ozaru form was a bad thing, until he discovered he could look at the night sky without worry. He could see the light of the moon without losing his mind to instinct. Now he felt that the rest of the Saiyan population was missing out. Planet Vegeta was made for moonlight, the way the light worked with the rocky out coves, it colored the planet in different shades of blues, in contrast to the red rock.

But this morning he had no time to look, he had mission in mind. Using the various side roads just be sure that he wasn't seen.

As he reached the building, he let out a sigh of relief. The lights were off. Just as he reached the front, he heard a small crackle behind him and turned to face it. He breathed another sigh of relief as Tarble stepped closer to the door. They both nodded, not saying a word, as he unlocked the door.

Once in they locked up behind them, taking several steps away from the door before speaking.

"So did anyone see you?" Tarble asked, crossing his arms.

"Just the old man. He surprised me. I thought he wouldn't be home for another week." He took off his black lab coat, hanging it up in the office they shared. Tarble followed suit. "How about you?"

"Vegeta knows I'm here, but no one saw me. The castle is dead at night, that and Vegeta showed me the tunnels under it a couple of years ago."

Tarble started grabbing data files from a case, it was ideal to keep physical copies of the failures. Storing them the same way as the others would take up too much memory on their watches.

He took a pile of files and began to look them over, checking for any problems.

"I really wonder what that bald fuck wanted." Tarble said, scanning his files.

He chuckled. "Who knows? It's not like he could read it anyway."

This time both of them laughed. They had written over half of the files in another language. Most Saiyans didn't know much outside of galactic standard. Picking the dead language from the Tuffle race seemed to be the smartest choice.

"I really don't know why your father keeps that ass hat around." He grabbed another pile of files, skimming the pages.

Tarble let out a laugh. "You know my father. He only sees value in those born as elites. That bastard was born into an elite family, so therefore he thinks the bastard is useful." Tarble tossed his pile to the side, before grabbing another.

So far nothing had come up. He was starting to wonder if the blockhead just got lost when he heard Tarble snarl.

"What is it?"

"The neuro toxin is missing."

"Which one?"

He was surprised to find Tarble a little panicked. "It's the one that was scrapped for being too volatile."

He felt his skin crawl, he remembered that one now. It exploded on impact and when it entered the body it would cause twitching, muscle degeneration, and death. "What would they want with that thing? It's too risky."

"I don't know, but I don't like it."

* * *

He awoke to find Tarble gone, just as he said he would be. He wondered if they had found anything.

He grumbled a little as he dragged himself out of bed. Tonight he had to leave to meet the delegates, not that he hated space travel, just the 3 days of constant talking. Why couldn't they just settle things with an old fashioned brawl? It would make everything a lot easier.

He changed, clipping his cape on before he left. A servant was waiting at the door for him. She seemed to look around. He knew why, Tarble was missing.

"My brother has already left." He said flatly before the woman could ask. She everted her eyes nervously, before nodding.

He strode down the long hall, leaving her behind.

He made sure to be quiet as he passed the throne room, listening in as his father argued with his adviser. He had been listening in for the last couple of months. His father was keeping something from him.

"Sire, do you really think that this is a good idea?" The overweight asshole, he knew as Romin asked.

He could hear his father's sneer. "Of course. This is the only way."

"Do you want me to contact them then?"

"Go ahead."

"Sire, what if the people don't like this?" He could hear the moron start to tap his light pin against his holopad.

"Does that matter? I'm the King, they know their place. Now go." He jumped up to the ceiling, just as the man left, going towards the communications room.

So his father was dealing out an unknown order without considering the people. Didn't he realize how hated he was? He wondered if this had anything to do with Nappa going into the lab. What kind of deal would this be?

He kept quiet as his father left the throne room, with a cocky grin on his face. He wanted to growl. What was his father thinking? He should have gotten up earlier. He hoped Tarble would fill him in when he returned.

He jumped down from the ceiling, heading down to the large dining room. He could see the servants setting out food.

He plopped down and waited for his father to arrive, but he had no such luck. The man was probably trying to get this order finished before he had a chance to confront him about it.

He grumbled to himself as he ate, not being able to shake the bad feeling he had about this. Something was coming, he didn't know what it was, but he would get to the bottom of this.

* * *

Raditz grumbled as he worked on his project, he didn't like this. He and Tarble had set up a trap in the office before leaving. If the bastard wanted information, he would have to face the consequences.

Strangely enough, he couldn't wait for the bald jerk to set off the trap. He had been wanting to get a better look at Saiyan anatomy. Sure it wasn't that much different than most beings, but he really couldn't find any good test subjects. Okay, it was because he couldn't find any willing participants.

He could have been sneaky and just grabbed some old dying man on the street corners of the lower district, but that wouldn't have reflected well on Vegeta. After all, Vegeta did free him from his life with Zera, if he hadn't shown up, he knew he would still be there. Doing everything she asked of him. And he would have done it and she would have petted his hair and told him she loved him.

Not that he missed that lifestyle. Just the idea of missing her deranged smile made him cringe. He didn't have to be reminded about the things she did to him. The cuts, burns, bruises, and scars inflicted more than just his skin. He could feel it down to his very being.

He was jarred from his thoughts as a crash came to the floor. Just a small chemical spill, looking over to the person responsible, he just rolled his eyes.

Ona always did these kind of things. She just didn't belong in a lab. She had long black hair and black eyes, much like any Saiyan, but she was very clumsy. Many a Saiyan would have thought of her as a catch, she came from an elite family and she was beautiful, but that wouldn't help her here. He remembered telling her that on the first day.

She could be smart, but not in the way that was suited to the lab work. She was better at writing than anything, so they just had her write up reports to the Intergalactic Commission.

He crossed his arms, looking down at her. "What was in that flask?"

She cowered a bit, blushing slightly. "It was just a simple acid. I was running it over to the chemistry lab. The shipment came in and Cuw wanted me to bring over a sample."

"Ona, is Cuw the director of this section?" He felt himself growl.

She took a step back. "No….He said he had your permission."

He sighed, face palming. "In the future, run all of this by me." She nodded at him slowly. "Now clean this up and get back to writing." He turned to leave, not looking back to see her expression. He had to find this jerk before he screwed something up. They had safety regulations for a reason.

It didn't take long to find the idiot. He was showing off to a bunch of kids in his division. He and this one had had many run-ins before. Cuw was from a second class family, he didn't like being told what to do by a third class like himself.

The boy was mixing up an addictive he had created a couple of weeks ago.

"Wow Cuw! How did you come up with that?" One of the girls asked.

"It was nothing really." He bragged.

It was times like this that made him want a torture room just like Zeras it would have made these upper-class bozos think twice about not listening to him.

He cleared his throat, standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. Cuw froze at what he was doing.

"Come with me." He was given a couple of dirty looks from the girls, but he didn't really care.

Cuw followed him nervously into the hall. "What did you need?"

"Where do I even begin? First you have Ona run chemical samples across the lab without authorization. Putting countless lives in danger. You know she is clumsy. One false move with the wrong chemicals and we all go up in flames!" The boy flinched back. "And then you tell them that you created something that I created."

"Come on Raditz, chill out a bit. It was all in good fun. Besides, did you see the girls all over me?" Cuw's hands balled into fists as he spoke.

There was only one way to get through to this kid. "I guess a demotion is in order than. You will be put on cleaning duty for the next couple of months."

He couldn't help but smirk when his young charges mouth gaped open like a fish. "But I'm one of the best on the line!"

"Someone who is the best does not take credit for someone else's work, nor does he put the rest of us at risk of death. You will work your cleaning hours. That is all. We are done here." He opened his mouth to argue. "If you continue to speak, I can make double your time." The mouth snapped shut, with a look of irritation appearing on his face. He felt his smirk grow. "Now if you don't mind, the 5 year olds on clean up duty need your help."

The boy pouted before running off. If wanted to laugh, but held back. He had other stuff to worry about. He wondered when Nappa would return because he had a lot of rage stored up and he need a meat puppet to take it out on.

* * *

They boarded the ship without issue, Kakarot jumping up and down in his seat from excitement. The boy just liked traveling for these jobs, that or he was looking forward to someone picking a fight like they always did.

"Kakarot, calm down. We still have a full day to get there." He pointed out to the younger Saiyan.

Kakarot stopped trying to move in his seat, but still looked like he couldn't contain himself.

"Who do you think is gonna try and pick a fight this year?" The boy smiled up at him. He swore the boy smiled too much for a Saiyan, but after a couple of kills he would be broken of that. Most Saiyans didn't get there first kill until they were at least 10 anyway and Kakarot still had 2 years before that.

It took him back to his first kill when he was 6. He didn't tell his father that he snuck aboard one of the pods. He just wanted a piece of the action and he got just that. He remembered the man he had killed, how he had pleaded with him, on his knees groveling. A man like that was a shame to his race. A coward of the worst kind. He had to be destroyed. He felt no remorse for the man.

Then he remembered Tarble's first kill, 3 years ago. He had stood outside of the room for a short time before leaving to call the Intergalactic Commission. Tarble was the same age he was when he took his first life and he couldn't have made him more proud. Sure, it was Raditz's kill as well, but the way they did it made up for that.

Fighting Saiyans like himself and Kakarot killed their prey fast, the smart Saiyans on the other hand, seemed to like to torture their prey first. He could see it every time his father said something dumb to his brother, the gears that would start turning. He knew what his little brother was thinking about.

Kakarot got up from his seat after they got into space. Going to the refrigerator and grabbing something to drink, tossing him one over as well.

He pondered the idea of having Kakarot have his first kill early. It would definitely put his childlike self to sleep. His instincts would start to show up and he would start thinking like a captain should.

He wanted to chuckle to himself. The rumors were true. Kakarot would be his Captain of the Royal Guard. Oh, the look on the faces of the many elite families would really make his day. His father really wanted him to take some guy named Leeak as his Captain along with making that block head Nappa his advisor. Like that would happen. He rather liked the idea of two advisors. Two Saiyans he knew he could trust. Unlike the scum his father wanted to push on him.

He sighed as Kakarot finished his drink. "Vegeta, do you know why Raditz left so early this morning? Mom was pretty upset to find him gone."

"He had something to look into at the lab. It couldn't be helped."

"So Tarble left too." Kakarot leaned back against his seat.

"Yep, I just wish I know what they found, if they found anything." He was given a confused look. "Someone was looking around the lab. They just wanted to make sure everything was there."

"Oh, Okay. Why didn't Raditz just say so before he left? Dad thought Raditz was avoiding him."

"Because this is classified information Kakarot. Remember this doesn't leave this room." He watched as the boy looked around, noting that they were the only ones there.

"I get it. My lips are zipped."

He smirked. "Good. So on to another topic, how would you feel about taking a quick detour?" He crossed is arms, hoping that the boy would take the bait.

"What kind of detour?" Kakarot cocked his eyebrow up at him.

"I think you can handle your first kill. You think you can handle that?" He challenged.

He almost laughed when the boy just smirked up at him. Yes, Kakarot was ready.

To Be Continued….

Authors Note

Yay, second chapter down. It is going to take a little while to get to the stuff in the description. Basically because this is going to be a long series, at least 40-50 chapters in length.


	3. Chapter 3

Only a couple of hours into their journey, they found a good spot. The planet was unmarked on their computers, but the scanners revealed intelligent life. He looked over to his right to find Kakarot fidgeting. The boy hadn't stopped for a while now. He began to wonder if he was really ready for this or not. The boy's mind was more innocent than the average Saiyan, but wasn't his brother far more innocent before his first kill.

Kakarot jumped when he spoke. "You don't have to do this yet you know."

"But…I…It's my duty to do it." Kakarot's voice shook a little.

He could tell the reality of the situation was starting to sink in. While it was easy for him to do it, he could not expect the same of Kakarot. Raditz and Tarble on the only hand killed because of the situation, even though he could see Raditz doing it again. Tarble, not so much. While he was proud of his brother's transition, Tarble was a lot more agreeable than most. Sure he had an attitude now, but he could not imagine him continuing to cut people open, unless he was provoked.

Raditz having been exposed to so much as a child, would most definitely go in for a kill again. The last time they had spoken Raditz was going on and on about wanting some test subjects. He said it would be for some kind of medication testing, but he could see it in the boy's eyes. He was out for some blood. He would try to have that arranged at the meeting. The galaxy had plenty of criminals and what could be a better way of dispatching them. The galaxy would be rid of them and Raditz could perform his tests however he wished. Raditz would probably prefer it that way anyway.

He watched Kakarot as he looked out the window down at the small blue planet. The boy's thoughts were filtering between confused and scared, it showed on his face.

Did he even want to do this? From the look on the boy's face he certainly wasn't ready. He couldn't just force the issue. It would cause Kakarot to resent him later and he didn't need that.

"You're not ready yet." He stated, walking away from the window.

"But Vegeta!" Kakarot looked about to argue. "I can do it!" The boy was shaking a little.

"Kakarot, you're shaking." He crossed his arms, a little angry with himself for even bring this up in the first place. He should have known better. "We won't argue about it. It will happen when you're ready."

Kakarot began to pout, not saying anything.

He began to smirk. "Don't think about it too much Kakarot, there will be plenty of heads to roll at the commission."

The boy's expression seemed to lighten up a little. Kakarot always liked a good fight. "As long as I get the first punch."

He let out a laugh. "It's all yours."

* * *

The day was coming to a close. He wondered if the bald idiot had come by and sprang the trap. It would really make his day. After all that Cuw and Ona had put him through earlier. As he got closer to the office, he found Tarble waiting. The side of his watch started beeping slightly.

The idiot had done it. He gave his friend a smirk and received one back as well. They wouldn't enter the office until the lab was empty. It would be stupid to go after their prey now. It would be quiet after all of the others left. Well not exactly quiet, just a not the noise they were all used to hearing.

They waved off their follow scientists as they left. Locking the door before heading back into the building.

"I'm going to look over the stations one last time. We don't need any stragglers around." Tarble said. Leaving him by himself.

He really couldn't wait to open that door. Sure the moron would still be knocked out. A high doses of sedative would do that to you. Having hidden slots in the doors had its advantages. He thought about it when they were building this place. It was set up so that if anyone entered the office without the code they would be knocked out. They had gotten careless the first time Nappa got in. They would sometimes send others in to get things out of the office, so they got used to having the thing off.

He sighed, looking back down at his watch. We should have done the rounds with Tarble. It would have gone much faster.

Thinking back, the dart idea wasn't his. Just something from a much darker time in his life. Tarble had cringed when they had set it up that morning. He knew why. The boy was once on the receiving end of those darts, while he was usually the one sending people up to them. Just the memory of getting knocked out was enough, let alone witnessing what Tarble had witnessed. He guess he was a lot more immune to it. Having grown up with it for so long. Tarble only had been there for a couple of hours, give or take. He faced it for years. It was only natural that he would grow desensitized to it.

Not that he was fully desensitized to it. He still had nightmares. He would still grow ill at the faintest scent of decay. He remembered when they acquired a couple of specimens a couple of weeks ago. One of them was not sealed correctly. He had to remove himself before losing it. The smell just brought all his memories to the surface. He had no problem with killing things, nor did he have issues with blood or organs. It was just the smell of rotting flesh that did it. Maybe if Zera had kept that room clean, he wouldn't have had this problem. 'That room would have been clean if she wasn't killing people.' The thought to himself.

He was pulled from his thoughts as Tarble reappeared.

"All empty?" He asked.

Tarble nodded. "Let's get this over with. I want some answers now."

With that he entered the code into the door, disengaging the trap and opening the door.

They both looked down in disappointment as their prey was not the one on the floor.

"Why the fuck was he in here?" Tarble said angrily.

He wanted to laugh. "Cuw here was probably angry with me for demoting him." He crossed his arms. "So what are we going to do with him?"

"Well we can't just give him the antidote. He will just run around and talk."

He agreed. Cuw was a show off and would do anything to get attention. He started to smirk. He had an idea. "I guess this gives me a chance to test those memory blockers out." He strode forward grabbing the boy's hand and lifting him up over his shoulder.

"Memory blocker?" Tarble didn't look thrilled about the idea. "Won't brother be mad if you us him as a test subject?"

"It won't hurt him, only block out most of his memory for the day. I came up with it for post-traumatic stress. And besides I think Vegeta would rather us do this than let this boy talk."

Tarble couldn't argue with that. "I don't understand though, why did you make those in the first place. Saiyans rarely get PSD…..Oh." Tarble was now just staring at him.

"I thought it would help me get over some of that. Maybe just take the edge off so I could sleep without nightmares for once." He looked away from Tarble, not wanting to be judged.

He heard a faint mumble and looked up at his friend.

"What?"

"Does it work?" Tarble asked, he seemed intrigued.

"I don't know. I haven't been able to test it fully. The only tests have been on smaller lifeforms." He answered.

"Let's try it." Tarble said looking away from him and to the passed out child on the floor.

To say he was shocked was an understatement. He didn't expect for Tarble to be convinced so easily. "Really? I thought I would have to fight you tooth and nail on this."

"We have no choice. It's not like he's low class. His family would question it and it would definitely make it to my father. Followed by my father making my brother out to be a joke. This place would be destroyed and we would go back to getting spit on like we used to." Tarble looked enraged.

Tarble's points made sense. He didn't want to be back to square one again. That would be worse than going back to Zera. Having to face his family after such a scandal would destroy any relationship he had with his brother and mother, let alone his father. "Give me a second. I'll go and get it." He placed the boy down and turned to leave.

"Raditz."

He turned his face back to look at the younger Saiyan prince. "Yeah."

"If this works, I want you to make me some of it."

He nodded. The trauma didn't just affect him. Tarble knew what horror looked like and even if it was only for a couple of hours. It was still present. It still hung over him like a wound that would never heal, no matter how much time passed.

It didn't take him long to find the stuff. It had to be injected. There was no other way for the moment. He would have to remedy that for the future.

He pocketed that and a couple of syringes, before leaving. Wondering to himself what they were going to be telling the boy. Just a simple lie would do, nothing too big.

When he returned he saw Tarble writing down some things on his watch.

"What are you doing?" His friend jumped before turning back to him.

"I was making up a story, just in case we need one. If this stuff doesn't work that is." He heard the watch make a short beep. "Did you come up with something in case he doesn't remember?"

"Yeah, the kid just slipped in the cleaning area and smacked his head on the cleaning rack. That usually happens a lot over there so it's believable."

Tarble nodded and he passed the syringe full of the compound that would wake the kid up. He looked it over as he filled his own with the test drug. He was crossing his fingers. Knowing what they would have to do if this didn't work and while he didn't mind disposing of people, he didn't want to do this this way. It would make Zera's assessment of him true and he wouldn't stand for it. He wasn't her. Killing kids was not his thing. He preferred going after those that had wronged him. Zera's death was nothing, killing that idiot Nappa would be nothing, but the memory of the boy he had been forced to murder was still fresh in his memory. It was something he would never forgive himself for.

He looked down at the syringe, it was full. He checked it over for air, before looking for a vein in the boy's arm. It didn't take long. He looked over to Tarble, receiving a nod. They had no choice. He stuck the needle in and pushed down on the plunger. He pulled out the needle and waited.

Tarble checked came over and checked his vitals. They seemed to be fine. It seemed to be working.

"Let's move him. We should probably get him set up in the cleaning room." Tarble stated.

He picked the boy back up, placing him over his shoulder. He didn't realize till now how tall he was. It seemed like just yesterday that Tarble was up to his top of his chest, but now he was only up to his stomach. Tarble was growing slightly, but didn't look any taller than when they had first met. Maybe it was due to the Queen's height. Vegeta wasn't that tall either and it looked like both of her children had inherited her lack of height.

They looked around the cleaning room when they got there, Tarble rushed to the sink, slashing some water on the floor. "Set him down."

He nodded, following the other Saiyan's orders. Tarble rushed over, finding the same vein he had used before injecting the reawaking agent.

They waited, not knowing what they would be getting. Both of them freezing when they saw his eyes start to twitch.

"What…What happened?" Cuw said, sitting up and touching the side of his head.

"Looks like you slipped." Tarble said flatly.

The boy looked around, suddenly a blush of embarrassment came over his face. "I…I'm sorry, I should have been more careful." He turned to Raditz. "Please don't demote me again. I don't think my family could take the disgrace." Cuw said frantically.

He wanted to smile, really smile, but he couldn't. "If you promise to never to try and pull a stunt like you did earlier, I will put you back on the main floor." He would have been tougher, but he was just ecstatic. It had worked, they were going to get off scot free.

"Really!"

"Yes, really. The kids down here probably don't need you getting knocked out. They got better things to focus on."

"Thank you, Mr. Raditz. Thank you, thank you." The boy looked like he was going to cry.

"Now why don't you get yourself cleaned up?" The boy nodded jumping up, almost slipping on the water.

After the boy ran off, he looked back to Tarble and he was smiling, not smirking smiling. "When do you think you'll have it ready for use?"

He chuckled. "Give me a week."

"Until then we should tell the workers that the office is off limits." Tarble laughed.

"Just tell them that it's getting updated. It's not a lie. The computers update all the time. Just say it's classified and they'll stay out."

"Why didn't we think about that before?" Tarble said, picking up a towel and cleaning off the floor.

His face turned grim. "He'll be back though. Whatever that moron wants, he will be back for it."

Tarble nodded in agreement, this was far from over.

* * *

Finally they were getting off of the ship. He was starting to think Kakarot was going to go crazy.

He was going to speak to the councilor as they neared the building, when Kakarot jumped in front of him. Sending an energy blast back. He looked over at the young boy. This eyes filled with rage. A man stood on a ledge, with a gun in hand. He looked back to the councilor who looked absolutely shocked.

Someone just tried to kill him. The rage began to fill his body, how dare they? He turned to mount an attack, only to find Kakarot gone. The boy was rushing towards the man, weaving between blasts.

He held himself back. This was Kakarot's fight. He had promised him that. It wouldn't take long for Kakarot to retrieve him.

The man continued firing the gun off, but it was no match for the boy. Kakarot was too fast.

He watched as Kakarot weaved behind the man, a look of absolute terror edged into the man's face. With one quick blast from his charge, a barrage of blood came their way. Some of which, splashed his face. He heard a strange nose as he looked down. The man's head, frozen with his last expression still edged into it, was rolling passed him.

The councilor was screaming, angry about the entire ordeal, but that wasn't his focus. He smirked as Kakarot, jumped back next to him, a serious look was on his face.

He crossed his arms. Looking down at his young charge, still smirking.

"I guess you were ready after all."

To Be Continued…

 _Authors Note_

 _Yeah, I spent a lot of time on Raditz and Tarble this chapter. I will give you some more Vegeta and Kakarot next chapter, it's just I had to get out some more back story on the two. We know Vegeta's personality, we can gather how Kakarot would have acted like if he never hit his head, but these versions of Raditz and Tarble are different from their canon versions. You're also probably wondering how Raditz and Tarble would be able to get away with Nappa's death and not Cuws. The difference is that Cuw is an innocent, who was just doing his job and he is a child. Nappa is an adult that was poking around in a place he shouldn't be. They could easily assert that Nappa was acting as a traitor, but not a child. Just think about it. If Cuw was killed and it was discovered it makes them look bad. If Nappa was killed and it was discovered it would look bad on Nappa's family, especially if he was killed by non-fighters._

 _So who was the assassin? What is King Vegeta planning? Why did Nappa want a neuro toxin? I guess you're going to have to read to find out._


	4. Chapter 4

The councilor was still going on and on about their would be assassin. He began to wonder if the man would ever shut up. It wasn't like he was the target.

After getting a good look at the man's face, he figured where the idiot had come from. The Cold Empire was still angry with him over their fall from grace. This wasn't the first time they had sent an assassin. All this did was make them look bad. Their royal family was still under investigation for Zera's crimes, let alone those of Cooler and Frieza. They would be locked up for a while.

In the years that followed the Cold Empire crumbled, with no leadership their reign of power disappeared, as with any deals they had throughout the galaxy. Zera's actions had darkened the galaxies opinion of the Frostian people. So many Frostians lost their jobs. The planet's economy was in shambles and many were forced into a life of crime as a result. If you were to go into a low level planet, in the lowest districts, you would find Frostian's smuggling or prostituting for cash.

He felt rather smug. Frieza's proud race was now demeaned to a level that far surpassed his own. After Zera was found out they didn't realize the opportunity it would create for themselves. Once the galactic community discovered that it was the Saiyans who had brought this to light, they were treated much better than they used to be treated. They were finally receiving the respect they deserved.

He looked over to Kakarot, his boy's future would have been gravely different if none of that had happened. He wondered what would have been. This boy would have been stuck in the third class with no hope of improvement.

What about his brother, Tarble would have been stuck in that room until the day he died. With barely any contact from the outside world.

Raditz would have been shamed. Never knowing anything other than hate for his own people. Instead of the pride he know showed.

So maybe Zera had a purpose. She had doomed her own race, but had raised the Saiyan race from the depths of galactic society. The irony of it all. She started a facility that was supposed to help her people concur the galaxy but in the end helped a different race get there.

He would make sure that it would be all his. These delegates always bowed to his whims. They must have known greatness when it was in front of them. That or they were terrified of him. It wasn't every day that you would see someone as young as himself taking control of their home planet. It just wasn't done. Other races didn't start taking the reins until their teen years. He was exposed before he was five, having listened in to father's meetings. Forming his own opinions and fighting his own battles, much to his father's dismay. Under his guidance his race was already flourishing, even if his father had the title of ruler, they knew who was doing the work.

He felt himself smirk. Almost his entire planet loved him. He had overwhelming support from the people, something that was rare amongst rulers this day and age. Most were in for themselves, which he was, but he wanted to be remembered. No one remembered what his grandfather did as King, the same would go for his father. But that wouldn't sit well with him. He had to be remembered. No one would forget the rule of King Vegeta the thirteenth. He wouldn't allow himself to become a distant memory.

Without his father's permission he was already looking over females for a possible mate, but none of them checked out. Every single one of them lacked the one thing he was looking for. He wanted a female that could stand by his side. Not one that would just sit back and never question his motives. He need a queen that his people would respect just as much as they respected him. She would have to be smart, but at the same time beautiful and fowl tempered. Knowing this he knew he would have to look outside his own species, but he knew she was out there, somewhere.

He sighed. He was rather bored. The councilor was still going off and it had been almost an hour.

Kakarot was now playing with his tail, completely oblivious to the fact that he had just killed someone. Maybe, he was going to retain some his childlike tendencies for a while.

"Vegeta, when are we gonna actually do something?" The boy complained.

"When the councilor gets his head out of his ass." He grumbled.

He heard a strangled growl. "I hope he gets it out soon because I'm hungry."

He rolled his eyes, this kid was a walking garbage disposal at times. Sure, Saiyans ate a lot, but he swore that Kakarot had at least three stomachs. "You'll just have to wait."

The growl grew at little lower, prompting the others to stare at them. Normally he would have been annoyed with Kakarot for the unwanted attention, but it got the councilor to shut up. One of the guards came to motion them all to a massive banquet hall, where many were already seated. He didn't have to look at Kakarot to know that the boy was drooling. If he was anyone else he would have been doing the same. The room was chalked full of foods he had never seen before and the smell was definitely one for the record books. He would have to figure out who their chef was. If he was going to be in control of all of this, he would want the best food possible.

They were motioned to sit down. He gave Kakarot a dark look as the boy reached forward with his hands. The boy stopped in his tracks, before leaning back into his seat.

Something he had failed on was teaching the boy some semblance of manners. Not that he would need them in the future anyway. It would just be nice for the time being.

Kakarot stared at him as the food was placed in front of them by the servants. Waiting for him to nod him off. He went ahead, even though he knew he would be annoying the other delegates. They wanted to do some ceremony, but in true Saiyan fashion food comes first. Ceremonial things could wait.

He really wanted to laugh as the other boy started to stuff his face. He had earned his dinner, so he would let him off this time.

"Prince Vegeta, please wrangle in your associate." The councilor declared.

He looked over to the man irritated. He didn't really care for this man. He was a rather heavy set man, with red skin and long blue hair. His bulging eyes seemed to twitch.

"I believe that associate of mine, stopped the assassin you were so worried about. If he didn't you wouldn't be standing here. The least you can do is show him some gratitude." He huffed. If there were no witnesses he would just rid himself of this oaf, but considering his position he would need to keep the dolt alive just a little longer.

The man cowered back a little, not liking the glare he was receiving. He rather liked that. A Universe that cowered to his very being. What could be better than that?

* * *

He had separated from Raditz after the Cuw issue, getting to back to the palace before nightfall. He noted his father's annoyance as he sat down for dinner.

"Tarble, you should clean yourself up before dinner." The King sighed. "I don't understand how you get so dirty. There are plenty of others who can do the work. You're royalty, act like it."

He glared up at the man. "I think I've spent enough of my life doing nothing."

His father grumbled something he couldn't make out.

"Do you have a problem?" He snapped.

"Yes, I do have a problem. I have two children who refuse to follow our traditions." The man huffed.

He snorted. "By your traditions I would still be locked away like an animal."

"You are too weak to be of any use."

"At least I have a use."

It happened way to fast. His father punched him in the face, snarling loudly. "I will not take that from a powerless weakling!"

He looked up at the man, still defiant. He would not cower. His father thought he could control him. He wouldn't allow him to even think that. "Is that all you know how to do? That's a little boring." He pushed his plate forward. "I believe that I'm done for the night." He stood, making it to the door before his father spoke again.

"I'm not finish yet, you ungrateful little twit. It was I who protected you from the outside world for so long. Do you know how hard that was? Being the King of a warrior race and fathering a child with no power what so ever. Don't you know the disgrace you have brought upon me by being born? I could have just offed you after you were born, but I didn't."

"You protected me? Don't make me laugh. You were just worried about your own image. It never had anything to do with me. Brother has already told me that I'm worth much more than you, so I don't see how I'm a disgrace. I don't owe you anything." He waited for another punch. His father said nothing. "As for letting me live as a baby, I give that honor to mother, never to you." He looked back and the man was stark red. If he could be any madder he would have smoke coming out of his ears.

He just waved him off as he walked away. He wasn't going to deal with his shit. Someday he wouldn't have to even look that the dolt. It was moments like this that had him hoping that the day his brother took the throne would come sooner. He really didn't know how much more of this he could take.

It didn't take long for him to get back to his room. He latched the door behind him and proceeded to look over data files. He hoped that they would catch Nappa in the following days because whatever he wanted that toxin for, couldn't be good.

He wondered what Raditz was doing.

* * *

Raditz only cringed as he walked in to their small house. His parents were waiting for him. His mother had a worried look on her face. His dad looked annoyed.

"What?"

"Your back!" His mother rushed forward hugging him.

He had to ease himself out of the hug. "Yeah…I was just at work."

She looked down at him sadly. "But I didn't know when you would get back. You didn't even say goodbye this morning."

She was very over bearing since he returned. He guessed that it was because of how he disappeared all those years ago. She would probably be this way for the rest of his life.

"Mom, I had to go in early. I didn't have time." He tried to explain. Her frown lifted a little.

"I know, I'm going to go make a huge dinner. Your father is home after all." With that she disappeared, leaving him with his father.

He really didn't know what to say. Sure they got along a lot better than they used to, but it didn't mean that they were best buddies. Not the way he was with Kakarot.

His father just looked at him from across the room, he looked like he didn't know what to do either. "So what was so important earlier?"

"Just work." He answered too fast, because his father gave him an unsure look.

"I don't know what the big deal is. You could have at least told me this morning. You didn't have to worry your mother."

"Again. I had a job to do. I can't just stand around when I have responsibilities." He was trying to stay calm.

He received a glare. "You may have a job, but you could tell us about it. Your brother shares many of his exploits with us. Why can't you?" His father crossed his arms and leaned back on the couch.

"Kakarot's work isn't classified." With that he received a funny look.

"I thought all of your work was for the progress of our planet?"

"It is, but think about it for a second. We are trying to get ahead of the rest of the galaxy at this point." He walked away looking out the window. "Anyone will be wanting information on what we work on."

"And you think that I would say anything?" His father's glare intensified.

"No…But you can never be too careful, who knows whose listening. All it takes is one person getting that information and it would basically be the end of us." He looked back at his father who was still glaring at him.

"Then why can your brother tell us about his training with Prince Vegeta. You work with Prince Tarble you should be able to trust us."

"I told you why I can't tell you." He didn't really want to deal with any of this right now. He decided he just needed to walk away. He started towards the stairs.

"Where are you going? We're not done here!" Bardock stood from his seat.

He turned his head back to look at him. "I'm not Kakarot. I will never be Kakarot. Just accept that I can't tell you about my job. Stop trying so hard. You don't have to pretend to like me." With that he strode up the stairs, not looking back at his father.

Once upstairs he turned his watch on looking over some data files. Before noticing the red dot flashing on the top right corner. He hit the side button. Tarble was using his watch.

"What are you looking over?" He spoke quietly into the watch.

"Just a couple of glitches." Tarble sighed over the connection.

He caught the sigh of annoyance in the younger Saiyan's voice. "What's got you on edge, besides the obvious?"

"My father is being his usual idiotic self."

He didn't doubt that. "Need a place to crash." He really wouldn't mind. It meant they could leave at the same time tomorrow before daylight.

"I think I'll take you up on that. When brother's gone this place is unbearable. Meet me out by the edge of the lab."

"Got it." He turned to leave, heading back down the stairs. His father was waiting along with his mother.

"Raditz, can we talk?" His mother asked sadly. His father was looking off to the side, not acknowledging him. He knew he was angry.

"I can't right now, I got to go pick up Tarble." He walked by them quickly, running into the darkness.

He heard them call after him, but didn't turn back.

He took the same route he had taken this morning, getting to the lab in mere minutes. Tarble was waiting for him. Giving him a smirk before walking over to him.

As he looked over his friend he saw the boy's black eye. "So your dad got a little physical."

"Yep, he just didn't want to accept the truth." Tarble said following him back.

They took their time, there was a moon out tonight. They would be the only ones out. "It's such a shame."

Tarble looked up smiling at the sky. "Yeah. I wonder if they ever wonder what it really looks like."

"I should ask Kakarot sometime."

"Yeah, I doubt Vegeta really cares." They laughed as they approached the small hut. Walking in to find both his parent's talking to each other.

"Prince Tarble, what did you need at this hour?" His mother asked.

His father was still not looking at him. "I just needed a place to crash. This will make it easier for us to leave early in the morning anyway."

"A place to crash?" His mother looked shocked and his father finally turned to face them. "Oh my, how did you get that shiner?" His mother was now overlooking the younger prince's face.

"Oh, this it's not a big deal really." He tried to move away from his mother, looking back at him. "How much do that know?" He whispered to him

He looked down grumbling a bit.

"So nothing then." Tarble was looking back at his parents, before asking him. "Do you have any antigel?"

He nodded, putting his hand in his pocket and tossing him the tube. Tarble opened it immediately. Dabbing some of it on his eye. In seconds the bruising was gone. He watched his parent's faces look on in shock.

"Pretty good stuff you got there. When will that be ready?" Tarble laughed, messing around with his watch.

"Just a week. Then it will be commissioned for battle use. I gave Vegeta some a week ago." He said, his father was looking at him in confusion. He guessed he was trying to figure out what all of this was about.

Tarble gave him a look, he was wondering what he was trying to tell him. He heard a loud beep. He looked at it. To find a note from his friend. 'You can tell them you know. This could affect them.' He looked back to his friend, giving him a silent nod.

He turned around latching the door as Tarble jumped up and covered the windows. By the time he turned around, he could see his father looking at him in confusion. "I guess it's time we came clean then."

To Be Continued…

Authors Note

Well it looks like Bardock and Gine are finally going to find out the truth and not just about Nappa. If you read the other fic you would know that Raditz never told them about what happened to Zera. I think it's time he got that off his chest.


	5. Chapter 5

He looked to Tarble again, still questioning if they should do this. Vegeta wouldn't be happy.

"First things first, how much has Raditz told you?" Tarble said, looking between both of his parents.

His father who looked confused before was refusing to look at him, but looked at the Prince before he spoke. "Nothing. He tells us nothing." There was a hint of venom in his voice.

He guessed he deserved that. "I had my reasons."

"Reasons? You act like you can't trust us. After all those years of worrying about you, you just push us away."

"It's for your own good." He stated flatly.

"Raditz…whether you like it or not, they need to know. We have no idea what the fallout from this will be." Tarble said, trying to reason with him.

He grumbled, still not liking the idea. They were safer not knowing. Nappa was an idiot, but that didn't mean the man was weak. He could take pain, but he would rather not put his family through that.

"Since our son seems to like keeping secrets, how about you tell us." Ginne asked. She sounded angry as well. When he looked over at them, they both looked away.

"There has been an issue over at the laboratory." Tarble said. "Someone broke into the main office and stole something."

"They stole something? Why not turn in the person to the security squads." His mother asked.

"Because it was an elite that stole it." He grumbled.

His father's eyes turned back to him. "An elite? You thought you could take on an elite? Raditz, you don't have a power level!"

He turned about to leave, he didn't have to listen to this.

"Your father is right. Why not wait until your brother returns." Ginne said, worry in her voice.

He turned back around angry. "Because I can take care of myself. I did it for the first 9 years of my life without any help and I can still do it."

SMACK! He heard the sound, his face was twisted to the side, but he felt no pain. This was nothing.

"How dare you! Do you not know how many nights I spent crying over the fact that you were gone? Stop acting like we don't care about you!" His mother was in tears.

"Raditz, we need to get back to the task at hand." Tarble said, now his friend was angry with him. He hated this.

Rather than speak with them, he turned back around and left. He just needed time to think.

"If your leaving then don't come back then! If you can take care of yourself then do it!" Bardock yelled after him.

He didn't speak, as he reached up grabbing the headband at his forehead, removing it and tossing it to the side. With that he left.

He didn't need this. He didn't want to even talk about it. Was she right all along? The love they gave him was a farce. Just like she said it would be. Maybe he should have just told Vegeta and Tarble to leave when they got there. Everything would have been fine. He would never have to be compared with anyone. He would have just been her perfect little Saiyan, just like he always was. She would praise him for his work. She would sent him to do her bidding. She would kill the others around them, letting him get in a kill every once in a while and they would have just lived out their lives like that.

He stared down at his hand, the glove was removed. How had he forgotten the truth of it all? He belonged to her. No one else. If she was gone, he would finish her work.

He froze. What was he thinking? He had to be insane.

With that he made a beeline for the lab. Maybe he could find something or someone to take his anger out on, maybe then he wouldn't be so crazy.

* * *

Tarble sighed, rubbing his forehead.

He looked over to Bardock, who was now holding the headband Raditz had removed. He had a guilty look on his face. Ginne just couldn't stop crying.

He shut the door, as both sets of eyes fell on him. "It's not easy for him you know. He spent years listening to Zera tell him that you didn't care about him. She made a point of it. She wanted him to rely only on her, to trust only her. It's hard for him to break those habits. No matter how long it's been."

"He just doesn't listen. Why can't he let us know what is going on with him. That's all I want. I know he's weak, that he'll never get in a kill, but…" Ginne was cut off.

"Wait, wait, wait, hold it. What do you mean?" He gave them both a confused look.

Bardock gave him a confused look back. "No offence, but you smart guys, just don't have the power we have to kill."

He couldn't help it, he started laughing. "You really think that all you need is strength to kill. My brother is the strongest one on this planet and even he doesn't believe that. He used to, but he learned."

"Learned?" Both older Saiyans said it at the same time.

"You guys like your kills fast." He turned his back to them, not sure whether or not he would want to see their faces. "But us smart guys, well we prefer to do it slow. Well mainly Raditz and myself. The others haven't done it yet." He chose to turn back around, finding both Saiyans in shock.

"How? When?" Bardock sputtered.

"What did you think happened to Zera? She didn't just fall over and die. Brother was going to do it, but after he took a look at us. The anger we felt, the utter rage we had. He left us to it. I think he looked over it after he returned." He couldn't help but brag.

"Raditz helped you?"

He laughed. "No it's more like I helped him. He already knew what he was doing. It wasn't his first kill."

"Okay, so you killed her, but that doesn't mean that the two of you can hold your own against an elite." Bardock said, standing up.

"You don't need strength to kill an elite either. All you need is a basic knowledge of sedatives and you can bring anyone down."

There was a look of horror on Ginne's face.

All Bardock did was ask more questions. "Sedatives?"

"Imagine being paralyzed. You can't move, but you can feel every touch, prick, cut, burn, any kind of torture. It's all at your fingertips. That was the fate Zera faced at the hands of your son."

He noted Bardock's expression, he seemed torn between horror and pride. "So you're saying he has killed more than one person." A smirk was starting to form.

"Yes, I know this for a fact."

Bardock looked down at the headband in his hands. "I'll go find him. I need to tell him he is welcome home. Maybe we can finally sit down and talk about this as a family."

"I can't let you do that." Tarble hated to be the barer of bad news.

"Why not!" Ginne asked the younger prince. He knew she would want her son back as soon as possible.

"The moon is out. You'll become an Ozaru. I'll go." He was given a smile from his friend's mother and started for the door. It was then that his watch beeped.

He took a second to look at it, before a smirk came to his face. "It may take me a while. It seems our little trap has been set." He was about to run out the door, but noted that the moon was hidden under a subset of clouds.

Bardock came up behind him looking up. A smirk came to his face. "So the moon is hidden tonight. You'll need an escort then."

"Fine, just stay out of our way." He said as they made their way into the night.

* * *

He was glad that he came over this way. It gave him a chance to clear his head. He had come to the lab angry, well not angry, mad. Insane if you would. What was he thinking? He seriously did not think that Zera was right. It was just an angry thought in the heat of the moment. He didn't belong to her, nor did he belong to anybody. He was right, working would clear his mind of his insanity. He wasn't here to do her work. He was doing his own work.

He sighed. At least his work had been fruitful. He was working on an antidote for the neuro toxin. If it was made they would need something as soon as possible.

Suddenly he heard a crash. He wasn't alone. Thinking quickly he dropped behind his work bench.

"Stupid kids, why do they have to make it so hard to find this shit?" He knew the voice, the bald idiot had come. This was a perfect chance to get some answers.

He looked about the room, thinking up a plan. The idiot wasn't as smart as Vegeta. The man wasn't using his sense of smell so this would be easy.

Listening to the man's footsteps, he started to crawl around to one of the bins. Making it out of the room without the man noticing.

That was only faze one. He knew he had to get to the supply cabinet. It would have what he needed. He rummaged quickly, finding the items he would need. A sedative, some rope, and some exploding powder.

He checked the around the corner. Finding Nappa still in that section of the lab. He set up the rope, low enough as to trip up the oaf without him seeing it, before readying the sedative. He knew he would only have one shot at this. Due to the Saiyan's large size, he would have to double the amount.

With baited breath he set down the exploding powdered and lit the fuse, before running back to his hiding place. He barely made it in time as the powder went off. Just as predicted the bald idiot came running, tripping over the rope. He dashed out while the man was on the ground, plunging the syringe down. He heard a roar of pain, followed by silence. He waited, backing up. Wondering if it would be enough. He poked the man's legs, but he got no response. He was definitely knocked out. He smirked to himself as he looked down at his watch.

He spoke into it, leaving his friend a messaged. "Looks like the oaf took the bait."

* * *

Vegeta watched as the delegate from Tech-Tech was watching him. He didn't know why, but the man had a look of pure rage as he stared at him.

Kakarot wasn't paying attention, he had just gotten his fill from dinner and was falling asleep. He expected as much. He was still a child after all.

He watched as many of the delegates left for the night. He was staying behind. He wanted to know what this man's beef was with him. The man refused to leave, he seemed to get what he was doing. Binding his time until the room was empty.

The Tech-Tech's weren't an advanced race, but they were known for their signature appearance. They were small with round faces and silver skin. They were pretty weapon savvy, even though they looked more like what a female would refer to as cute. Out of all of the species here, they were the least threatening.

The room emptied, leaving him and the delegate alone, well alone if you didn't include the sleeping Kakarot.

The man pushed back his plate and made to leave.

"You know it is rude to stare." He made sure to say it without anger, know it would just send the man running. The man seemed to freeze in place. "Now I want answers."

The man turned around at the door, his glare intensified. "If you don't know now, you will soon enough." And with that he left. Leaving him confused. Sure he was feared by most in the commission, but didn't mean he knew the reason why. The Tech-Tech's were a non-threat as far as was concerned. He had no reason to want to go after their planet. Well maybe in the future he would, but only after he had much better planets at his disposal.

He cringed as he looked over to Kakarot, he had fallen asleep with his face half way off the table. "Kakarot wake up!"

The boy jolted awake, looking around before his gaze fell on him. "Yes, Prince Vegeta."

"It's time for bed. Come on." He had already gotten to the door when Kakarot jumped up to follow.

They had shared quarters here, and while that may have been bizarre to some, it was a necessity. Assassins were a real threat here and having two sets of eyes and ears was always better than one. He didn't like that Kakarot snored from time to time but he got over that. Snoring was a small price to pay for waking up the next day.

They got to their room, there were two beds like usual. One which was larger for himself, made with the finest of trimming and materials and the other, which was smaller and with simpler sheets. It was usually for the bodyguard or in this case Kakarot. He did have to chuckle, to a third class like Kakarot, it had to be like sleeping in a bed as fine as the one he had back home. An elite would have complained.

"Kakarot keep your wits about you. This place is crawling with morons out to get rid of us." He crossed is arms as the boy jumped on it his bed.

"They're just scared Vegeta." Kakarot didn't even take the time to remove his armor.

"I wonder what they're so scared of." He removed his cape, laying it down on a trunk.

"They know that in a couple of years that you're going to rule over them." The boy smirked at him

He smirked back. "Yes, it won't be long after my old man croaks the galaxy is ours."

"Ours?" Kakarot looked at him confused.

"The Saiyan people will own this galaxy. With you by my side we will take down every single planet. They will kneel at our feet." He could just imagine it now.

"Does this mean that I get to be a general in your army?" Kakarot almost jumped back out of bed in excitement.

He wanted to laugh, but didn't. "No Kakarot, a job that menial will go to someone else, you belong at my side doing the important work."

"Important work? Like a Captain then?" Kakarot questioned. The boy was getting warmer.

"Not even that. Think bigger."

The boy's mouth gaped open as the light bulb in his head went off. "But isn't that just for elites."

"Not under my rule it isn't, besides you already know what I expect. I've been teaching for the role for some time now."

He swore the boy was going to start bouncing off of the walls.

"Remember though, for the time being you cannot tell anyone. This goes no farther than you and me." He watched the boy nodded, excitement clear in his eyes.

"Really why can't your dad die faster."

"It will happen eventually. No one lives forever." And when that day came he would be ready. He would take his proper place at the top and continue his legacy.

He would have absolute control of the galaxy and he would rule with an iron fist.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note

A lot more Raditz and Tarble this chapter and we will get more of them next chapter. If you don't know anything about the Tech-Techs you can look them up as they are an official species in Toriyama's work. If you can't tell Raditz still hasn't fully let go of Zera. He's still connected to her, whether he likes it or not. I am planning some more with Vegeta for the next chapter as well, because this story his supposed to really be his story, but I'm wrapping up some lose ends from the last fic before jumping in to the main plot. This is basically for those that haven't read Tales of the Forgotten. It just gives you a better insight into the minds of Raditz and Tarble. If you noticed I haven't written anything from Kakarot's POV and not that much from Tarble's. Some of that will change, but not really for Kakarot until much later in the story. Anyway until the next chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

He got the blockhead moved while he waited for Tarble. He had never had a use for this room until now. He buckled the man down before getting a couple of different things from the store closet.

He began to feel his heart rate start to go up, he was excited. When was the last time he had been this excited? Was it really that long ago?

When he returned he found Nappa still knocked out. He was rather pleased with himself. If only his father could see this. He wouldn't think he was weak anymore.

He sighed as the door clicked, he turned and was surprised to find his father with Tarble.

"What are you..?" He said shocked at his father's smirk.

"So this is how it's done then?" His father said, looking over Nappa on the metal table.

His face snapped back to Tarble, giving the boy a questioning look.

"He needs to see. You won't be able to move on until he sees." The boy said walking by him and stepping up to look over the man. "How did you get him up here?"

"I had to drag him. He wasn't that far from here." He walked by his father ignoring him.

"But the trap was in the office…"

"I knocked him out in lab 5. The idiot fell for a blast of exploding powder and a rope." He said walking back up to oaf.

"Should we begin?" Tarble asked, looking to him.

He could feel his father's eyes on his back, but nodded anyway. He was looking forward to this and wouldn't let anybody ruin it. He grabbed a vial on the tray to his side and started filling a syringe.

"So you're going to wake him up?" His father said, now standing behind him.

"He'll still be paralyzed, we have to get some answers." He stuck the bulky man in the arm and pushed the plunger down. He set it off to the side.

Now they waited.

He tried not to look at his father. Deciding to focus on the task ahead of him, but the man wouldn't let him do that.

"So this is part of your job?" He finally looked over to the man to find him smirking with his arms crossed.

"Yeah." He didn't really know what to say. This wasn't all that normal for Saiyan behavior. He looked away, his father couldn't really be approving of this.

Out of nowhere, he felt something light fall over his head. He wrenched up the pulled whatever it was off. He almost froze as he looked over his blue headband. He looked back at his father. "But I…"

"No matter what happens you're my kid. I know sometimes it seems like I don't care for you but I do. I know you're not your brother. I just worry more about you because of who you are. You we're born to fight so I worry about how you will fare in this world after I'm gone."

"Dad, you don't have to…"

"I'm not done. For four years I hated myself. I failed you. If I had been paying attention it never would have happened. Your mother would still be stable and I wouldn't feel this guilt." His father looked away from him and in that moment he saw an emotion he never would have thought he would ever see from his father. Shame.

"But you couldn't have done anything to stop it." He argued.

"If I had looked after you like a father should…"

"It wouldn't have made a difference. They took me from the training facility. You would have had no power to stop them. Besides look what came out of it. Kakarot is training with elites. We are free of Frieza. Our kind are self-sufficient." He snapped.

"But you had to suffer for it! Sure I'm happy for those things, but what about the horror you faced. How is that even fair?"

He was surprised again. How much had his father beaten himself over this? He thought it was just guilt for losing him, he didn't think that the man blamed himself for his misfortune. "But it's not your fault. If any it was my own fault."

"Don't go blaming yourself, you were just a child, you still are." His father snapped.

"And you were at home with Mom and Kakarot. You didn't leave their side, did you? You couldn't have helped me, you didn't even know if I was alive. Even if you knew where I was it wouldn't have mattered. Zera would have just killed you." This seemed to get his father attention.

"Killed me?"

It was Tarble who answered. "No one was ever supposed to leave her house. We only got lucky in the end. If Raditz had given in to her we would all be dead."

"Given in?" His father looked confused. He didn't tell his father that part either.

"Can we not talk about that?" He gave Tarble a nasty look, just as Nappa began to stir.

"Another time then." Tarble agreed.

Their attention turned back to their prey. "Kami, my head." He watched as the lug tried to pull himself up, but to no avail. "Where the fuck am I?"

"The better question is, why were you snooping your ugly, bald head around here?" Tarble asked, he could hear the venom in his voice.

"Like I would tell a weakling like you. You're not even a real Prince." The man growled.

Tarble chuckled. "This coming from the likes of you. Last time I checked I am related to the King of this Planet. So I believe your logic is false."

"You can't even throw a punch. That alone dismisses your blood all together."

"Only a buffoon such as yourself would operate on such logic." Tarble sounded so calm. It kind of reminded him of how Vegeta acted.

"Just because you can use big words doesn't make you smart, you little shit." Nappa laughed.

"Yes, I'm the dumb one. That's why I'm the one standing here and you're the one strapped to the table." Tarble smirked. "Oh wait a minute, was that sentence to much for you? Did your tiny brain comprehend that?"

Nappa turned red in anger, he looked like he was trying to move. But the combination of the restraints and the neuro blocker was keeping him in check.

"I don't think it did. It's probably all shriveled up." He decided to join in on the fun.

"Shut up! You third class pile of shit. YAAAA!"

He knocked over a vial on the man's leg. "Opps…my hand slipped."

"When I get out of here, you two are dead!" Nappa yelled.

"Who said anything about you getting out of here, did you Raditz?" Tarble looked over at him.

"No, I didn't. I think he's delusional."

"That's what I thought. Now back to the task at hand. Why are you here?"

Nappa just grunted.

"I think you're asking him the wrong questions." He said. "Why did you need a neuro toxin?"

"That's none of your business!" He felt himself smirk as he turned the vial over again. Listening to the man scream. It was odd, he could feel someone's eyes on his back. He knew his father was watching, but that wasn't it. It was like she was watching, egging him on. He stopped pouring the substance on his victim.

"What were you saying?" Tarble asked, smirking.

"You'll know soon enough. My lips are sealed. Like I would tell my King's secrets." The man froze, realizing his mistake.

"So, it's just as I suspected. My father is behind this." Tarble gave him a glance. "What would he need that for?"

He felt himself laugh. "It's not like he can make it."

"You know nothing. Just wait. You will pay for your ignorance." Nappa said, apparently pleased with himself.

He crossed his arms. "Is that all you have?"

He watched as the man's eyes started to go wide, he must have realized what that meant.

"So do you want this one or do I get to do it?" Tarble asked.

"Why divide it?" He smirked.

Tarble smirked back at him, grabbing another vial from the table. They would have their fun.

Bardock just looked on, a mixture of horror and pride in his features.

* * *

Vegeta awoke early, Kakarot was already awake, which was a surprise.

"Why are you…?"

Kakarot brought a finger to his mouth telling him to listen. With that he closed his eyes focusing on his senses. He could hear someone creeping about.

He opened his eyes, nodding to his companion. They both took their time moving to the opposite of the room quietly. Both of them listened as two people started talking.

"I don't think this is a good idea. What if we get caught?"

"Shut up! If you keep talking they'll know."

What imbeciles, did they really think that they could sneak up on him? Next to him Kakarot let out a low growl. If he wasn't next to the boy he wouldn't have heard it. He motioned to the boy, telling him to get ready. Kakarot gave him a slight nod.

Suddenly they heard a crash followed by a scream. So they weren't the target. Their neighbor was the one who was being hunted.

He sighed in disappointment, he was looking forward to a good fight. It would have been a good way to start off his day. Looking back at Kakarot he found that the boy looked just as disappointed as he felt.

"Come on, let's get ready." He said, as Kakarot pouted. "Trust me, there is someone out there looking for a fight with us, they'll show themselves before the day is out."

That seemed to get Kakarot out of his mood. "I wonder who the guy next door was."

He almost laughed. "That was the delegate from Tech-Tech. He must have looked at someone wrong." He wondered if another person had noticed the man staring at him last night. Maybe that prompted them to take action. Or they over heard what the man said to him and wanted to shut him up. That way he didn't find out what they were planning.

He clasped his cape on and tucked his tail around his waist, before motioning Kakarot to leave.

As they both exited, he took his time looking over the scorch marks on the walls of their neighbor's room. It looked like the assassins had used a low grade laser gun, nothing too threating to himself or Kakarot. Heck, one of those wouldn't do damage to Raditz, but probably had to do with the boy's size.

"Those Tech-Tech's are so weak, aren't they Vegeta."

"Yes, they really had no reason to be here anyway. They don't even have their own standing army." They were a useless bunch.

Kakarot gave him a confused look. "Then how do they fight?"

"They don't, they make a lot of weaponry, but lack the ability to fight." He was about to walk away, but noticed that Kakarot was thinking about something. "What is it?"

"Well they sound a lot like the lab guys back home when you put it like that. My brother can't fight but he can make the stuff for others."

He was kind of surprised that Kakarot even made that comparison, even though it wasn't the same, Tech-Tech's didn't have the instincts that their kind had. All Saiyans had the need to kill at some point, both Tarble and Raditz taught him that. As for fighting, he believed that the smart Saiyans were more trap minded than the typical warrior. "Yes, but I don't see a Tech-Tech beating a Saiyan anytime soon."

"Yeah, they are kind of small and funny looking." The boy laughed. He guess the boy was trying to imagine such a thing.

"Yes, it is funny, now let's eat. We have a whole day of arguing ahead of us."

Mentioning food was all he needed to do to get Kakarot to jump to his side.

The banquet room was full of people again. All of them stopping to stare at them as they entered. They all seemed confused.

Now he got it. They were the targets, but their idiot assassins killed the wrong person. Oh how he wanted to laugh.

"Kakarot, keep your wits. It seems like we'll be getting the fight we wanted after all."

Without missing a beat the boy smirked as he looked around. Waiting for someone to start. Did they really think that they could take them down so easily? No one would be able to stop his conquest of the universe.

Looking about the room, he waited for the first person to pounce. He got his wish when an idiot closest to his right made the first move, sending an energy blast his way. He put out his hand to block it, holding it in his hand for a second. His smirk became more prominent as he sent the blast back, hitting the man in the stomach, killing him instantly.

"Anymore takers?" He questioned, noting at how many now shook. Next to him Kakarot wrapped his tail around his waist. The boy was readying himself for another attack.

He was right to do so as another came forward. This time sending an attack his way. He watched as his young charge, not only deflected the blast, but jumped forward with enough speed that no one could see him as he kicked the person in two.

He wanted to laugh at utter stupidity of these people. Did they really think that they would stand a chance against Saiyans? A race of Warriors vs many races who knew nothing about battle. What did they think would happen?

Kakarot jumped back to his side, blood glistening down his armor. "Who's next?" The boy said cracking his knuckles.

He watched at the crowd parted, leaving an aisle for him to walk down. Yes, this was what he wanted. The fear in their eyes said it all. They would all bow down to him. It was all a matter of time.

To Be Continued…

Authors Note.

So we finally are almost at the end of the Tarble and Raditz heavy chapters. By the end of them Vegeta and Kakarot will be on their way home, where the real beginning of this story will take place. And yes I know this is not as long as some of the other chapters, but it would have dragged on into filler and I really didn't wanted to put a lot of filler in this story.


	7. Chapter 7

He almost cringed as he cleaned the blood off of his hands. They had already disposed of Nappa. His father had helped them move the oaf. No one would know where the idiot had gone to. Tarble could easily mix the records to make it look like he died in action.

He was still left with questions. Why did the moron want the neuro toxin? There was no way he could make it. Also what was King Vegeta doing telling his henchmen that he needed stuff in the lab? This was getting confusing anyway you looked at it.

His father gave him a smirk when he exited the showering area. Tarble was still in there. The boy got dirtier than he did.

"I guess I was wrong. You can take care of yourself." His father said. "Where did you learn how to do that?"

"She taught me." He answered truthfully.

His father's smirk became a frown. "I think it's time we really talked about what happened Raditz."

He sighed, sitting next to his father. "It's hard to talk about. Even thinking about it brings the memories to the surface. I spent 4 years of my life in complete terror, bending myself to her every will. She asked me to betray the other kids and I would lead them to her. She asked me to kill, I did it."

"You did it to survive, like any Saiyan would."

"She used to pet my hair all of the time, at first it was strange, but after a while it became normal."

His father gave him a confused look. "Normal?"

"Soothing in a way." He could feel himself cringe. "She always did it after I did something for her. Or when she got back from gathering more people. She'd just walk into my room late at night and just pet my hair."

He didn't think his father would be so pale. The man didn't speak, he was just in a state of shock.

He looked away, not wanting to be judged. "Sometimes she would take me to her room. Usually wanting me to sleep in her bed."

"She…she tried to mate with you!" His face snapped back, his father's pale face was now red with anger.

"No, we would just…" his mind froze up as he remembered the day he landed his first kill. She kissed him. Not like the normal kisses to his brow either, she full on kissed him. Is that what she really wanted? At the time he didn't understand because he was younger, but now it seemed so obvious.

He could feel his father's eyes on him, as the sense of shock, disgust, and shame flew through him. "Raditz, tell me. What did she do?"

"She kissed me…." He felt his hand move to the top of his head. He didn't realize he was pulling on his hair, causing him twinges of pain. He felt his father's arms on him as they tried to keep him from harming himself. He just wanted to remove that dark and horrible memory.

Bringing it to the surface, he could feel it as if it was happening all over again. She was holding him down. Her mouth was over his. The dizzy feeling he felt, the strange feelings that were going up and down his body.

He felt sick to his stomach. Pulling himself from his father's grasp and finding the closest sink. His stomach was already empty, so the act reminded him even more of his past.

"Raditz…" This father was staying his name, but everything was all cloudy. It was like the room was spinning. She was in front of him again, pulling him into her grasp.

Suddenly he was being shook, a familiar curl of hair was in front of him. Everything came into focus.

"Raditz, wake up!" Tarble screamed at him. The younger Saiyan looked terrified.

He began to look around, the images of his past disappeared around him. His father looked guilty. "I shouldn't have pushed you to tell me."

Tarble looked confused for a second. "What were you talking about?"

He looked down at his hands. They were covered in blood. He had pulled on his hair till his scalp blead. "It…It wasn't real." That was right, she was dead. None of that was real. He was back on Planet Vegeta with his family.

"Did you have flash back or something?" Tarble said, walking over to the sink and turning on the water.

He just nodded. It was ironic. He had just shown his father he could take care of himself and now he looked like a scared child again.

"You know it's never going to go away until you face it. I know it's hard. Your mind is full of horrible memories, but it's time to come to terms with them."

He sighed, he knew the younger Saiyan was right.

"Raditz, continue." Tarble crossed his arms and leaned against the sink.

"He doesn't have to. He can tell me when he's ready." His father said, glancing at him worriedly.

"No father, I need to do this. If I don't the nightmare will never end."

* * *

Oh how he wanted to laugh. After the incident that morning, no one even tried to get in his way. Both he and Kakarot got to dine on the best foods from that evening as well.

Everything was going according to plan. He had secured a couple of trade deals and even got his request for the test subjects he wanted, like they would even try refusing him.

He was rather smug at this point and he wasn't the only one. Kakarot was now ordering more food from the kitchens, without his permission. The boy didn't need it. He knew he already approved.

"Kakarot, make sure you don't over eat. These goons will no doubt try to ambush us again."

The boy nodded. "When will they learn?" He said before stuffing his face again.

"Only when their 6 feet under. Remember these delegates will stop at nothing to control the galaxy."

"But they can't have it. It's ours." Kakarot said, licking a bowl clean.

He smirked. "Yes, this universe belongs to the Saiyan race. Those idiots have been in control for too long. It's time for change. A change that only we can bring them."

"Do you think that I can get some more bread?" Kakarot asked him. The servant that was standing near them, didn't even wait for an answer and ran to go get more. The man must have realized that it was better to be on his good side.

Kakarot sniffed the bread before downing it. It was a practice they knew all too well. The entire delegation hated him. He wouldn't put it past them to try and poison him.

Like they would even get far trying that. Saiyans had senses they could only dream of.

Just as he was thinking this, Kakarot sniffed a bowl of soup, before pushing it away and growling. He really had taught the boy well.

"Poison?"

Kakarot nodded, then smirked. "Vegeta, I have an idea."

Seeing the evil look in the other's eyes, he nodded his approval. He watched as Kakarot took his spoon and dipped it into his milk glass. The soup looked almost undetectable. He felt his own smirk begin to show.

Kakarot got up from his seat, making it over to the delegate from Arlia's table. When the woman was distracted, Kakarot switched the glasses, before making back to his side.

Now all they had to do was watch. It didn't take long for the woman to take a sip. In moments she was starting bulge up like a balloon. She was screaming for help, but none would come as she burst, sending body fluids everywhere.

He couldn't help it. He tossed his head back and let out a laugh. Kakarot had out done himself.

The councilor looked upset. "Prince Vegeta, this is most unorthodox!"

"Tell that to the person that tried to poison our food. She got what she deserved."

"What did you say?!" The man's eyes looked like they were going to pop from his skull.

"She poisoned our food." Kakarot said, crossing his arms. "I could smell it on her."

Leave it to Kakarot to find the person who was responsible. "There you go. Her punishment fit the crime don't you think?" He was leaning back in his chair. The entire room was staring at him and Kakarot again.

"You could have brought your grievances to the committee." The man argued.

"Like you would have taken it seriously. Us Saiyan's have no time for your justice system. I would rather deal with the problem myself instead of relying on weaklings like you." He spat. "Now I suggest that you stay out of my way."

He noticed that the man paled, backing away from him. He smirked to himself.

"Come Kakarot. We've dirtied our presence with these common weaklings." He stood from his seat and Kakarot bounded to his side. He only had to be with these weaklings for a little longer.

They would be leaving in a couple of hours. He had what he needed anyway.

"Ready to head home, Kakarot?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah, this place sucks."

"Glad to hear it."

* * *

He didn't think that talking would make this easier. The more he said the less the weight on his shoulders felt.

The three of them were now making it back to his house. The moon had stayed behind the clouds, allowing his father to come home with them.

He had his headband back on. His father had tied it back on himself. He really didn't know what to say. He was just tired.

Tarble seemed happy with himself. Not only had he gotten him to spill his guts, he got to spill Nappa's guts everywhere. The boy would be smug of a couple of weeks.

As they reached the door. His mother bolted out the door grabbing him in a tight hug.

"I thought you weren't coming back." She said sadly.

He didn't mean to upset her. He really didn't like making her cry. She had been through enough. "Mom, I'm sorry."

Instead of shutting her up, she started to wail louder. He sighed. He deserved this.

To his right Tarble covered his face, hiding his laughter. He tried to pull himself away in embarrassment, but she wasn't having any of that.

"Mom. Can't we go inside?" He whined.

"Ginne, it is a little chilly and the clouds may move at any moment." Upon hearing his father's voice, she backed up a bit and they went back in the house.

Once inside she sent them to bed. Telling them that they needed to get up early.

"Mom, we don't have to leave until normal time." At this she smiled.

"Then get your butts up there. I'll have a big breakfast for you in the morning."

All she had to do was bring up food and they were gone.

Once upstairs Tarble looked at him with a serious expression. "We may have caught our prey, but this is far from over."

He nodded. "I don't know what your father wants with that toxin, but it can't be good."

* * *

Out in the reaches of cold, dark space. A ship was getting closer to its destination.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note

Sorry about the lack of chapters this week. I had a family emergency. There should be an update on Wednesday to make up for it. So we are ready to get into the meat of this story. Who do you think is on that ship hmmm….guess you'll just have to wait and see?


	8. Chapter 8

He was so glad to be back home. His home planet back under his feet. Vegeta looked down at Kakarot as he bounced around. The boy would be happy to see his family. Heck, he would want to tell them about his kills.

Speaking of family, he needed to find Tarble. Maybe, he figured out what that moron Nappa was up to.

He was surprised to find the dock empty. Usually there were more people out to greet him. Not that it mattered. His father probably had them all off doing something useless.

The quiet was a nice change, but it was eerie.

He kept his guard up though. Something about this wasn't right. Next to him Kakarot remained quiet, he too sensed the danger.

They rounded the corner and was shocked to find the entire building empty. No one was around. Why?

He motioned Kakarot to follow him. Someone had to be somewhere.

"Where is everyone?" Kakarot asked, clearly confused.

"Come on, they have to be somewhere." They rushed out of the building, into the city. No one was there.

Maybe his father had called them away for something. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

* * *

They had all been called into the main square, in front of the palace. Any Saiyan that had some semblance of loyalty to the crown was there. He stood next to his father waiting. His mother had stayed home, these things didn't interest her.

King Vegeta had an announcement to make. The fact that he had not waited for Prince Vegeta to return didn't bode well with him.

He could see his father's glare. It was no secret that Bardock hated King Vegeta. Whatever the man had to say, his father would instantly hate it. It wasn't that he disagreed with his father. The King was the one who allowed Zera on to the planet in the first place. He just didn't show his hatred as publicly as his father did.

That didn't mean his father was disloyal, he was just disloyal to the King. If you put Prince Vegeta in front of him it was a different story all together. Heck, Tarble got a better response out of his father.

Speaking of Tarble, he looked annoyed up on the balcony above them. Apparently, he had no idea what this was all about. His eyes were glancing around. Tarble was looking for someone. Vegeta and Kakarot were due back any day now. Tarble knew that if his father made any decision while Vegeta was away that his brother would flip.

He looked away from his friend, looking around the square. He recognized some of the Saiyans, some of which were from the same level they were.

The elites all stood together up on the balcony. Of course the King would keep them close.

He wondered what was going as the King stepped forward to address them. "Today is a proud day for our people. I have secured a new ally for us. We will no longer need to worry about working in the fields. The Saiyans from the lowest levels will be moved to fighting duty."

He looked around, finding many Saiyans enraged. They had only been self-sufficient for the last 4 years. He looked up at his father, finding the man growling. "Those Saiyans are too old to fight."

"I would like you to meet the ambassador of Tech-Tech." He moved out of the way and a really short man came out, he was shorter than Tarble was.

He didn't like the look of him. Maybe it was because the man was trying to look tough, but he was as threatening as a stuffed toy.

"Thank you, King Vegeta. I hope that we can work together to bring a new age for the galaxy."

The growls around him grew louder. The Saiyans didn't want to share their glory. He didn't either. He didn't even realize that he too was growling.

His eyes found Tarble again, watching as the boy tried to remain calm. He didn't want any part in this.

The elites looked happy. They probably like the idea of watching the poor, elder Saiyans doing their dirty work.

Suddenly, a loud roar rung throughout the square. He knew that voice. The crowd parted way, giving the elder Prince room to walk.

I glanced over to find my brother standing beside the prince as he walked forward. His brother looked pissed, but not as livid at the prince.

"So this is what you do while I'm gone." Vegeta said, crossing his arms. His eyes were directed on his father only.

"Vegeta, my word is law. Get up here. You're an elite, a Prince. You should be here with us." King Vegeta said, trying to appeal to his son.

Vegeta let out a small chuckle. "You really think that you're an elite? Don't make me laugh. I'm fine down here. I'm in much better company." He turned his eyes on the ambassador from Tech-Tech. "You may use our fields, but only under the supervision of our elders. The last thing I want is a tainted food supply."

Behind him a wall of cheering had erupted. He felt himself smirk at the Prince. You couldn't deny the presence he had. He could get the entire Saiyan race to walk through hell with just a snap of his finger.

Up on the balcony, Tarble smirked down at his brother, before jumping down. He was caught by a couple of older Saiyans. They set him down and he made his way over to Vegeta.

"Tarble get your ass back up here!" His father screamed down.

The boy gave him a defiant look. "No, I'd rather stay with brother."

Vegeta smirked as his father's mouth gaped open. Having Tarble disregard him in public had never happened before.

The man from Tech-Tech was cowering back. He was now hiding behind the King.

"Then you agree that they will stay then?" The King said turning back to his eldest.

"Under my conditions they stay." The Prince said.

The King relented, glaring down at his children.

He turned back to look at his own father. Bardock was smirking. "This is the way it should be. Us over them."

King Vegeta flew back into the palace, along with his advisors.

He watched as the crowd dissipated, before moving forward. He needed to talk to Tarble anyway.

Tarble caught his eye and motioned him forward. His father followed.

Upon seeing us, Kakarot bounded over. "Did you see that?" He was excited as always. He swore the boy would never grow up.

"Yes son, we saw." Their father said, ruffing the boy's hair.

Vegeta pushing himself through the crowd and over to him. Tarble followed.

"So Kakarot are you going to let them in on our trip?" Vegeta said, sounding amused.

His brother looked confused. "What do you mean Vegeta?"

"Why don't you tell them about what happened when we landed at the commission? I believe they will be very interested."

Kakarot's confusion became excitement again. "I got my first kill!"

Bardock lifted him up. "You did, how did it go?" His father looked beyond thrilled.

"I ripped his head off!" Kakarot almost shouted.

Bardock laughed. "That's my boy!"

He felt a small pang of jealousy. Sure, his father knew that he killed, but his reactions were different when it came to Kakarot. There was no celebration when his father learned of his kill, but that was because they were different. Kakarot was the fighter. It was to be expected.

He turned, feeling Tarble's gaze on him. The other boy must have known what he was thinking.

"Brother, Raditz and I would like to have a word. In private." Vegeta already knew what was going on.

He nodded and they separated from his family. He would give them their time. Give Kakarot his time with their father.

Once away from the crowd, just inside the palace, Vegeta spoke. "So what is it?"

"Keep your eyes open. Nappa stole a toxin from the lab." He said.

The elder prince nodded. "Anything else?"

"Apparently, he took it for your father."

The elder prince grimaced. "What would he need that for?"

"We don't know brother, Nappa wouldn't tell us." Tarble said slipping.

"Nappa…said…Where is he now? Did you let him go free?" Vegeta didn't sound happy.

"No…" He didn't really know how to answer that question.

"If you didn't let him go where is he?" The elder prince questioned, looking between them.

Tarble spoke first. "It's been such a long time. Our instincts just took over…" Tarble looked down at his feet.

Vegeta's head suddenly went back, he was laughing loudly.

"Brother?" Tarble looked worried. He was still uneasy.

Vegeta grabbed his brother by the shoulders. "Every time I think I know everything about you, you surprise me." He could hear the pride in Vegeta's voice. "So who took the lead this time?" Vegeta looked over at me, knowing I was in control last time.

I smirked. "Tarble was." Vegeta looked thrilled.

He wanted to laugh at his friend's embarrassment, but kept his mouth shut. "If that is all, I'll take my leave."

"Before you go, I have something of interest of you. The test subjects you needed. I've acquired them."

"How?" Now he was intrigued.

Vegeta let out a low chuckle. "They gave me the prison rights. We will be getting prisoners from the commission. That should satisfy your thirst for blood."

He smirked back at the other boy. "It means I can show some of the others how to work with living components then."

"Yes, you can."

He could hear the commotion outside, his father was telling everyone about Kakarot's kill. "I should get back to my family."

Vegeta nodded at me and I left, heading back to my own family. My dad was still celebrating Kakarot's kill with some of the other Saiyan's. His brother was younger than most who got this honor.

Kakarot jumped over to him, excited. "Raditz? What are you doing over here?"

"Just had to finish up some stuff with Vegeta. By the way, congrats." He put on a fake smile, he would try and remain upbeat for Kakarot.

"Dad says that mom will make a huge dinner tonight!"

He chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair. "We should probably get going than. Mom will want to know, won't she?"

Kakarot ran ahead of them, leaving him and their father alone.

"You did well the other night."

His face snapped up to his father. "That's not a big deal."

"If the world could know, it would be."

"It's not the world's business."

"Then it's a big deal to me and to you." He was surprised at his father's effort. "Now come on, if we don't get home soon, Kakarot will eat everything."

He leaped after his father, not wanting his brother to devour everything.

* * *

He was back in his room, Tarble was sitting on his bed, deep in thought.

"Brother, when do you think the Tech-Tech's will get here?" The young boy questioned.

He thought it over. "Well their planet isn't that far from ours, so maybe a couple of days."

"I don't want them here." Tarble said, angrily.

He took off his cape. "I don't like it either, but at least they will be under our control."

"I still don't like it brother, something seems off about them."

He wanted to laugh. "Well they did make a pact with our father, so I wouldn't be surprised."

His brother squinted his eyes. "That's not it."

"Then what do you mean?"

"Something about them doesn't match up. I was looking over their ship specks. The control panels don't make sense."

"Well, they use a different level of technology than us…"

Tarble stood on his bed. "No brother, they aren't tall enough to reach the control panels."

He froze, what a strange detail Tarble had discovered. "Do you think that they are hiding another form?"

Tarble nodded from his bed. "It makes the most sense. They don't have connections with many different species. For all we know that cutesy form is just a ruse. I say we keep our wits up around them." His brother's face was serious.

He smirked. "I see your senses are getting a lot better."

Tarble flushed. "Well..I got it from watching you."

"At least you don't take after our father. I could not stand it if you did."

Both brothers laughed. Staying up way later than they should have. Not knowing what morning would bring.

* * *

Over on the other side of the palace, a dark plan was forming. The Tech-Tech ambassador was laughing as he looked over the money he was given, looking over to the large number of his people in cages.

"You wanted slaves. They will do what you want." The man said, counting his money again.

"Just make sure that the deed is done." The King said, passing the man a vial.

"Trust me, he won't see it coming."

To Be Continued…

 _Author's Note_

 _So, we are finally getting into the meat of this story. I wonder if a certain Tech-Tech is in those cages…hmmm…._


	9. Chapter 9

He got up just like any other morning. Tarble was still asleep as he looked out the window. The sun was just coming over the horizon. He smirked down at his brother before shaking him awake.

"Come on Tarble. You can't sleep the day away."

Tarble grumbled before opening his eyes. "Fine." He watched him jump out of bed and headed for the massive closet they had. One side was filled with his armor, the other was packed with Tarble's lab coats. Both pairs of clothing had the royal seal on them.

They changed in silence. He knew that Tarble was planning his day like he always did. His brother's eye for detail was far better than he hoped it would be. The fact that his brother personally inspected every ship before it went into battle, had earned him the respect of the warriors. It was normal for Tarble and his group to show up before a raid.

"So how many ships are you going to be looking at today?" He asked.

"Only those that are inbound. The next full raid isn't until next month, so I'm going to be doing some work in the lab till then. Maybe make a couple of changes to the warp speed drives." Tarble said pulling on his jacket. "You?"

"Kakarot and I are going to do some training. No harm can come from us getting stronger." He smirked, clasping his cape into place.

"Like anyone can touch you." His brother quipped.

He chuckled. "If I take a day off, someone may get ahead of me. This galaxy is full of idiots who all want a shot at the top. I'm just going to give them the chance."

This time Tarble laughed. "Again brother, they don't have a chance."

Tarble always had so much confidence in him. Not that he didn't have it in himself, but that wasn't normal for members of the royal family. Most of the time, they were pitted against one another. Both siblings fighting for the crown, but not them. Tarble saw the future they could have if they worked together. He had no interest in the crown. The empire they planned to create would be the greatest in the galaxy. It was another reason his father seemed to hate the both. They would rather work together than fight.

They left the room and walked down the massive dining room. He was surprised to find his father gone. That man never missed a meal. He started in on his meal, knowing he would need something for the day ahead.

Tarble was done before he was. "I guess I'll see you later. Raditz will kill me if I'm late."

"I don't think that Raditz would go that far." He joked.

"No, but he's adamant about us getting there before the others. Says it sets a good example." The boy jumped down from his seat and waved him off. Leaving him alone.

He finished his meal, jumped up, and left. Kakarot would be waiting for him at the elite training center. Last time he checked the boy's power level was around 5,000. He would need to check to see how much he had grown.

His own power level was around 12,000, so Kakarot was still far behind him, but the boy was out matching many of the elite scores by a good 2,000. He wondered how far he could take his own power. His father's readings were about 13,000, which wasn't far off from his own. If he could break that barrier he would be the strongest on the planet, then he could move on to the galaxy.

As he expected Kakarot was waiting for him, leaning against the front of the center. Much to his annoyance the other elites never allowed the boy to go in by himself, no matter what orders he gave. But it would be Kakarot who had the last laugh.

The younger boy gave him a smirk when he saw him approaching. "You're late." The boy said. It was their private joke. Kakarot was late back on his first day of training.

"Let's get going. I want to check on your progress."

The boy nodded as they entered the center. All eyes turned to them. He could see all of the dirty looked directed at his charge. He really didn't care, and Kakarot never paid them any mind.

He grabbed a scouter from one of the shelves. He would check this in front of everyone. Kakarot stood still. Letting him document it. His eyes grew. It was just as he predicted. "Over 8,000. Quite a feat for so such a short amount of time."

Many of the elites backed up from him. They looked rather distraught.

"Can I check yours?" Kakarot asked. He looked pretty happy with his result.

He nodded and wondered how much his had changed. Kakarot face lite up again. "Wow! I didn't know it could go this high!"

"What is it Kakarot?" He wanted to know if he had surpassed his father. Not that it would be hard to do with how close their levels were.

"15,000. Brother said you could blow up a planet at that level." His smirk grew.

"Perfect."

Every elite backed up, fear was in their eyes. Just what he wanted.

"Come Kakarot. We can't be satisfied with this. We can still get stronger."

The boy rushed to his side in excitement, following him to the main training room.

"We will be taking this for the day. No one else can use it." He snarled at the woman standing by the door. He watched as many left the room. Glares were being sent his way, but he didn't care. Whether they liked it or not, they were under him. Not only by class and rank, but by level. Heck none of them could stand up to Kakarot anymore.

The door closed behind them and they began.

* * *

Raditz had just finished his new tonic, when Tarble came in. The other hadn't come yet.

"How's that project going?" Tarble pointed at the vial in his hand.

"It's done. This should stop the growth of that new virus that is going around."

"Good, did you want to come with me and check out some of the new operations in my area? One of the teens is showing some real promise."

"Which one?" He glanced at his schedule to make sure it was empty.

"Parle. She's a genius at physics. She made a better version of old Tuffle hyper drive."

"It looks like, I'm clear. But I would like to stay here. I got a couple of other projects to look over anyway."

"Alright, if you change your mind send me a message." The younger said, pointing at his watch.

Tarble left without a word. This was a big day for him. Having another person with a top rank around here would help cut down on their work. Tarble could divide his work with Parle. He on the other hand preferred if they came to him. His didn't trust others with his work and he would be damned before letting another person touch it.

He heard a small knock on the door. "Yes."

"Umm… Raditz..umm" It was just Onna. She usually came in early.

"What did you need?" He said annoyed.

The girl backed up, flushing red. "Well…I…I kind of…"

"You kind of what?"

"Locked myself out of the computer." She couldn't look at him, she was too embarrassed.

He sighed. "Again."

"Yes…I'm sorry." She said, barely a whisper.

He strode by her. "Follow me."

She smiled, but kept her distance. "I wish I wasn't so useless."

"You're not useless. Everyone has purpose." He said without thinking.

Her smile grew, but faded when they got to the computer. "It just won't let me in. I've tried everything."

"What were you working on?"

"The nerve gas file you wanted. I had half of it done before it locked me out."

He turned around to face her. "How long have you been here?"

She looked away. "About an hour. I just wanted to finish this stack of files. That way it would be cataloged for your watch chips."

"Alright come here, I'll show you what you did."

She stepped closer, but he realized that she was barely breathing, why? "Onna are you feeling okay?"

"YES!" She screeched.

"Are you sure? You're all red." He placed his hand on her forehead. "You're warm."

She was shaking. "Don't worry about it, I'll be fine."

He took her hand. "No, if you have something I need to check." He led her away from the computer, making her sit down on one of the lab tables.

She looked quite embarrassed at his point. He wondered why?

"Any problems with eating or sleeping?" He asked. Looking around for a fever reducer.

"No..nothing at all." She made a strange noise and he turned to find her passed out on the table. He rushed over, checking her vitals.

Her hand was over her heart. Like it hurt or something.

"Are you having chest pains?" He asked frantically.

She nodded as she cringed. He swung back, grabbing a particular drug from the cabinet.

"This will sting a bit." She didn't look like she cared as he stuck the needle.

In minutes, she seemed to relax. "What are those? I hate them." She brought up her knees and wrapped her arms around them.

"I need to check your heart. You may need surgery."

She gave him a worried look. "If I need surgery than I am useless."

"No you're probably useless because you're sick. If you get a transplant you could probably recover your fighting ability or you may have some skill in the lab."

She pondered this. "What do I tell my parents? They won't like this."

"I'll give them the memo. I can get in contact with someone that can get you what you need easily." The thought of certain prince came to mind. "Until then rest. No over exerting yourself."

She nodded, but looked at him sadly. "Now who is going to do my work?"

"I'll work on most of it. I did it once. The job is yours when you heal."

Her eyes brightened again. Her cheeks going red.

"Do you need more medicine?"

"No." She smiled. "I'm fine."

* * *

Tarble sighed as he looked over the engine. Parle was working on a different ship. He knew he could trust her with this. She was a couple of years older than him. Most of her knowledge came from old tech books. She was rather good with physics, which would be great for later. He could put all of his focus into engineering.

He only wished Raditz would see things his way. If Raditz trained someone up, they could take over the chemistry department and Raditz would be free to work on his bio stuff. Sure, his friend could do both with ease, but that didn't mean that he needed to do both.

"PRINCE TARBLE!" Parle's frantic voice said panicked.

He rushed out of the ship he was working on, to find the other Saiyan looking down at a panel that had fallen off of the ship. A small person fell to the ground. A Tech-Tech?

Turning it over, he noticed that it was a female and she was injured. The grayish blue skin she had was bruised.

She coughed. "You….you have to…stop him."

He leaned down. "Stop who?"

"He betrayed us…stop him.." With that she passed out.

"Get her back to the lab. Make sure no one sees her!" He ordered Parle and she did what he asked.

What was that girl doing here? Who betrayed her? He needed to find Vegeta. He would want to know about this.

* * *

Kakarot got a good blast in, but he dodged it just in time. He twisted around sending a blast back at the boy. Kakarot barely got out of the way. The blast singeing a patch of his armor.

They landed, so he could look over the boy. He noted that it was just the armor. "You just to work on your speed a little."

"Well what did I expect? You are stronger than me."

"Yes, but you're the only person on this rock that can give me a challenge." He turned about to tell Kakarot about another round, when he felt funny.

His stomach clenched. It became hard to breathe. He toppled over. The pain was excruciating. Like a million bullets were racking his body. He lost his breakfast.

Kakarot was speaking, but he couldn't hear him it was all a blur. It was like he was dying.

With a last murmur. He passed out. The world going black.

* * *

Kakarot was beside himself as he scooped up his prince. He had to get him to Raditz, he would know what to do.

He dashed at the door to find it wouldn't open, someone had locked it. If he didn't get out of here now, Vegeta would die.

He set the boy down. Sending blast after blast at the door. The door was made for such impacts and it wouldn't budge. He was trapped with no way out.

He felt helpless. What was this power if he couldn't save his friend? He ran at the door trying desperately to get it open. No matter the pain, he would get them out of here.

He was about to burst into tears as the door slid open. Tarble standing on the other side.

"Prince Tarble…its Vegeta! We need to get him to brother!"

Tarble went white as a sheet. He stood out of the way. "Hurry Kakarot! We don't have much time!"

He didn't have to be told twice as they ran out of the center. They had to make it to the lab. They just had to.

To Be Continued…

 _Author's note_

 _Not Veggie! Anyone but Veggie! But yeah I'm evil. You've probably figured out who the Tech-Tech is, but role will she play. Parle may return, I'm not sure left. Onna seems very interested in a certain long haired Saiyan. But on to the real stuff. Poor Veggie. Everything was going so well for him._

 _I'm also evil because this will be the only update this week. I have two tests, a presentation, and a paper to write. Along with starting a new job. Updates will resume next week as normal._


	10. Chapter 10

He watched as Onna leaned against the wall. He had been trying to contact her family, but to no avail. After checking the poor girl, he now knew that she did in fact need a transplant. She didn't look too happy about the news either. Every once and a while she would stare up at him, out of the corner of her eye. Not just look at him, but openly stare. He wondered why she did that. She saw him most days, but not as long as she had today. Maybe that was it. She was just curious about his work.

She looked down again with a sad look on her face. He knew that feeling all too well. She didn't want to be useless and this was just another reason for her to be called such.

He sighed. "Is there anything you want?"

Her face perked up immediately. It seemed she liked listening to him talk. "No. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? There is some water…"

"I'm fine." She cut him off, giving him a sad smile.

He was about to just get her some, when Parle came running in with a mysterious person in tow.

"What that hell?" He cocked an eyebrow up in confusion.

Parle looked panicked. "Prince Tarble told me to bring her here. She looks like she's been attacked. Prince Tarble wanted to get Prince Vegeta to speak with her, but she is in need of healing so I was told to bring her here."

Understanding the situation, he jumped right in. "Get her onto the med table. I'll check her vitals and if you get some of the equipment ready. Then you're dismissed." He turned to Onna, who looked a little in shock at the change of events. "Come with me, I can't have you passing out while I'm working."

She smiled and followed him into the hospital wing as he started his work. Looking down at the alien, he could see that she was a Tech-Tech. That didn't make sense they weren't supposed to be here yet. The female made a slight groaning noise. Her breathing was labored. He wondered what had happened to her. There was only one way to find out.

Just as he was about to start the doors slammed open and he was met with the frantic looks of both Tarble and his brother. Vegeta was unconscious.

"What is going on?"

"Brother, something happened. I don't know what but Vegeta collapsed!" Kakarot said out of breath. That was odd. Kakarot would never be this out of breath. The run wasn't that far from here.

He turned to Tarble, who just looked terrified. "Raditz, we don't have much time. My brother needs your help!"

"Get him on a table then!" He watched as Kakarot helped them put the boy on the table, before he fell to one knee, he was breathing harder now. Raditz could see his brother's eyes dilating. Something was effecting his nerves. His face went back and forth between the older prince and his brother. It all pointed to one thing. "Kakarot get on that table now!"

"But…but brother…"

"NO BUTS!" He yelled.

Tarble helped him up, confused on what to do. "What do we do?"

"Tarble go get my parents."

"But why?"

"JUST DO IT!" The younger prince looked shocked at his orders, but followed them anyway.

Pasle had already left, it was just him and Onna now.

"Do you need any…"

He rounded on her. "Get me some blood bags from upstairs."

She nodded and left without a word. He would have to trust her with this.

He ran back to the cabinets after she left, the antidote for the neuro toxin was there.

Kakarot stared at him as he prepped the needle. "Brother?" He didn't answer as he ran over to Vegeta and slammed the needle down into his arm, counting as he push it in. "Why did you do that?!"

His brother's voice was shaky. It was his turn. He grabbed another syringe. "Kakarot stay still."

"NO!" The boy shook, terrified of the needle in his hand.

"Kakarot, you need to take this. You have a neuro toxin in your bloodstream."

His brother continued to shake his head, even as he doubled over in bed. Shaking in pain.

He walked closer, expecting his brother to push him across the room. "I know you hate needles, but you have to do this. If you don't you'll die."

His brother's face froze, he could see pure fear in his eyes.

"You need to trust me. It will only hurt for a second."

His brother seemed to waver, if that was his own decision or the toxin in his blood he didn't know, but he need to get antidote in.

Seconds later Kakarot collapsed and he got his chance. The boy didn't move. He was scared for a second as he thought he was dead, but he could still find a heartbeat.

He left Kakarot's side to check on Vegeta. The boy was still very pale. He checked his vitals. His heart rate was still going crazy. The antidote was working, but he was under the toxin for a much longer time. A lot of his cells were most likely damaged.

He heard a small crash as Onna reappeared. She looked a little battered but she had what he needed. "I'm sorry! I couldn't find them fast enough." She seemed to panic.

"No, you're just in time. Can you get me a chair?"

She looked at him confused for a second, but complied.

He went into action again. Grabbing some larger needles from the cabinet. All Saiyans had the same blood type. He stuck himself. Getting a good flow.

She just stood back and watched him, as he stuck Vegeta in the arm, pumping some of his blood out. He would have to replace it with his own. She came over and started helping him with the pumping. He was sending Vegeta's weaker blood back into his own body. It would heal the prince much faster than just waiting for his system to heal. He cringed when the remnants of the neuro toxin hit his body.

After he had a quart of his blood exchanged, he looked over at his brother. He couldn't leave him just lying there. "Switch me over to him. I can give him some of my blood as well." He was starting to feel weak, but he didn't really care.

She nodded obey his wishes. "I wish I could help."

"Your heart would be too weak for this." She just smiled at him as he pricked himself again.

"Needles don't make you cringe at all, do they?" She asked.

He shook his head. "There are much more painful thinks in life than those." He was almost on the verge of collapse, but strangely enough she held him up.

He looked up at the bag knowing that a quart had passed. She helped him remove all of the needles and dragged him over to another table. "Do you need anything?"

He smirked at her, remembering when he had asked her that same question. She just smiled back. "I think I'll be fine."

"Don't need any water then." She joked, her hand was on his. It was warm.

"Why don't you get that for both of us?" He said trying to control his breathing. The neuro toxin was painful, but he could deal with it. Compared to Zera this was nothing.

"I'll get some then." She said jumping away. She seemed rather happy with herself.

"Hey Onna…" She stopped and turned to face him. "Thank you."

Her eyes brightened and he felt a tightening feeling in his chest. He wondered if the neuro toxin had spread there.

She left just as he asked and the feeling left him. Now he was confused. That didn't make sense.

He was about to give it more thought as the door crashed open. His parents and a frantic Tarble came rushing in. Tarble turned to him.

"SO WHAT HAPPENED?" The fear was clear in his voice.

"Vegeta will be fine, you got him here in time." The boy's face relaxed.

He heard a cry, his mother, she was looking down at Kakarot. His father rounded on him angry. "WHAT IS GOING ON?!"

"Kakarot will be fine too. His exposure wasn't as bad as Vegeta's" His father's anger melted into worry.

"Who did this?" Tarble asked.

He sighed. "It seems like that neuro toxin got created after all."

Tarble's eyes grew. "He did this. THAT BASTARD!" He had never seen the boy so angry. "I..I'll kill him!"

"Tarble stop. Not until we get all of the facts, we don't need you running off and going after your father. Not until Vegeta is healed."

"The King!" His father growled. "That bastard tried to MURDER my son!"

He looked away. "Yes, he did, but I believe that Vegeta was the target. He wanted that toxin for a reason." He felt very weak now. The toxin was fading from his body, but the damaged cells had him exhausted. He just wanted to lean back and sleep.

"What else?" His father asked. He could see the burning in those eyes. The pure rage.

The door cracked open and a slightly confused Onna walked in. Tarble and his parents just gaped at her.

"Onna…why don't you…" Tarble started, but she ignored him. Going straight to Raditz.

She passed him some water and he nodded. She just watched him drink for a second before grabbing his arm and pulling his sleeve back. He could now see that he was bleeding through his bandages.

She sighed. "You really should have wrapped those tighter." She walked over and started to get some new ones. Tarble was giving him a funny look and his father was now looking down at his bloody arms.

"Raditz, what did you do?" His father just looked shocked.

His mother, who was done crying over Kakarot, came down next to him. "Does it hurt?" She looked like she was going to start coddling him.

But she was pushed out the way as Onna walked by her and started removing his bandages. "You really should get some sleep."

"If you didn't notice, I didn't really have time for that." He said look away from her. He didn't understand, why he was so embarrassed by her presence. He looked back at her as she started wrapping his arm again. He could see that her cheeks were red again. "You need to sit down."

"I'm fine." She said, cringing slightly.

He sighed as he moved over. She smiled and took a seat next to him, leaning into his side.

He heard a snicker and looked back up, he forgot that he had company. Tarble looked like he was going to fall to his knees with laughter. His father was smirking at him and his mother was just smiling.

He didn't know what the big deal was, but he caught himself as he tried to stand. "You need another stabilizer."

She just nodded. As he left the room, he could feel everyone's eyes on him.

* * *

Tarble sighed. He didn't have time for this. He need to know what was going on now. Sure, it was funny watching his friend try and figure out that he had a girl looking at him like he was a potential mate. But Vegeta was his main concern right now. He would make fun of his friend later.

"Don't be mad at him." He turned back around to face Onna. "He did everything he could do."

He felt his eyebrow arch up. "What are you…"

"They needed a blood transfusion. He switched out their blood with his. That's why he's so weak right now." She said.

He was about to say something else, but Ginne walked passed him and sat next to her.

"What is your name?" She asked, a joyful look on her face.

The girl blushed. "Onna."

Bardock let out a chuckle, but his happy face seemed to fade as he looked back down at Kakarot.

Raditz returned. "Take these."

Onna nodded as he walked away. He checked both Vegeta and Kakarot at the same time and then smirked. "They'll be fine. Their heart rates have returned to normal."

He let out a sigh of relief. "Until then." His eyes turned back to the mysterious alien girl. She was still knocked out.

"I don't know much about Tech-Techs but there has to be some way of getting her healed up."

"I just want to know why she's here. She said somethings in the hanger. I just want to get to the bottom of this."

Just as he said it, her eye opened, but that wasn't the only think that happened. Her body started to glow. Her face became less rounded and she was starting to look more Saiyan like, minus the silver skin and the now long silver hair that sprouted from her head. She was still small, but she no longer looked like a plush toy.

"I knew it." Tarble smirked to himself. "They do have a different form."

She let out a gasp. "Where am I? Where are they?"

He decided to start his interrogation early. He would inform his brother when he awoke. "You're on Planet Vegeta. Who are they?"

She gave him a sad look. "My people…that bastard….betrayed…" She coughed. She was still in bad shape.

"What bastard? Who betrayed you?" He asked.

She smiled up at him. "Who…who are you?"

He sighed. "Prince Tarble of Vegeta. Now who betrayed you?"

She coughed again. "I trusted him. We all…cough…trusted him."

He was growing impatient. "Who did you trust?"

"He made a deal, killed my family…you have to stop him…"

He really wanted to glare at her. Why didn't she just answer him?

"We are nothing…but…slaves now…" She looked like she wanted to cry, Raditz was starting an IV pump with some pain killers. "You must stop him…"

"I can't stop him if you don't tell me who he is.."

"Tarble…what a strange…name."

He crossed his arms. "Like yours is any better….whatever your name is."

"Gure…my name is Gure…" With that she passed out again and he sighed, that had gotten him nowhere.

He looked down at the young Tech-Tech. She couldn't have been any older than was. The sad look in her eyes reminded him of someone, but he couldn't figure out who.

He turned his face back to Vegeta, the elder prince had risen in his bed.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note

 _So a lot happened this chapter. Raditz starts to notice a female, Vegeta and Kakarot are saved, and Gure has made her appearance known. I wonder what that means for Tarble…Lol._


	11. Chapter 11

He sat up, still groggy from whatever it was that had happened. He looked to his right to find Kakarot knocked out. The boy was pale, that was for certain. He looked down at this own hands, finding them pale as well.

His eyes flashed up to his little brother, who was interrogating someone. Next to him Raditz stood with his arms bandaged. From behind he could hear the annoyance in his brother's voice.

He watched as Tarble spun back around, his eyebrows scrunched together in anger. The anger fade upon seeing him.

"Vegeta." With that the younger prince dived for him. "Vegeta, I thought you were dead!"

Tarble thought he was dead? Whatever it was that had happened, it had been enough to shake his little brother. "You thought that that would kill me?"

"If you weren't brought here in time you would be." He looked over at Raditz as he spoke. The boy wasn't paying him any mind. He looked like he was busy hooking up a bunch of machines.

He grumbled to himself. This was the worst humiliation he had ever suffered. Whoever was behind this would pay. "So what caused that and why is Kakarot knocked out?" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw both of Kakarot's parents. They must have been called due to the boy's condition.

Radtiz let out a sigh. "That was a highly volatile neuro toxin. Somehow both of you were exposed."

"Neuro what?"

"It's a toxic substance that messes with the neurons in your body." Raditz said plain faced. Seeing his look of annoyance, Raditz continued. "The neurons in your body are responsible for everything you feel. Imagine getting punched in the stomach, those are your neurons responding. In the case of the toxin, your neurons started rapid firing. Sending out more signals than your brain could handle. This leads to vomiting, shaking, dizziness, loss of consciousness, and death. The toxin you were given is at a very high concentration, so you had to be given it fairly recently."

"Who put this together?" He snapped. His body ached as he tried to move out of bed. Who in their right mind thought that it would be a good idea to cross the prince of all Saiyans?

"Brother, I believe it was father." Tarble said in barely a whisper.

He was beyond shocked. He thought that his father saw him as the perfect heir. Sure, they had their problems, but nothing that would cause his father to want his death. What would killing him accomplish? Was it because their father couldn't control him? If that was the case, why was Tarble not a target as well? Their father couldn't control him either.

"Our father isn't smart enough to pull something like this off." He said trying to deny it.

"Vegeta." He turned back to Raditz, who finally turned back around to face him. "He was the one that sent Nappa here. He got the toxin from here. I know it may be hard to believe, but these are the facts. The only two Saiyans that got infected were you and my brother. When Tarble got there how many others were in the building?"

He looked down at his younger brother, who wasn't looking at him. "Brother, the building was empty. The doors were sealed shut. I found Kakarot ramming himself into the door."

He heard something crash to the ground, his eyes traveled back over to the parents of Raditz and Kakarot. Both of them seemed to be in utter shock, but they weren't the cause of the noise. A young Saiyan female was, she had dropped a glass. It looked like water. She blushed in embarrassment when he gave her an annoyed glance. She was the daughter of an elite by the name of Peppre, the man under the current Captain of the Royal Guard, Lleb. She shouldn't be here. These proceedings were confidential. He turned back to Raditz only to find him not next to the sleeping female, but getting another glass of water from a nearby sink. He watched as his friend gave her the glass and watched as her eyes lit up.

An idea crept into his mind, a devilish smirk covered his features. This girl had a thing for his friend. He could use this to his advantage. If she proved herself capable he could easily get the information he needed.

His idea was scrapped though as Raditz gave him a death glare, which was odd from him. He wondered if the boy was fostering some feelings for the young girl.

"Onna, why don't you go sit in the other room. It may be easier for you to get some sleep." The girl nodded at Raditz as he escorted her out of the room. The girl took his hand as if to steady herself. Now he understood. The girl was weak and not just by fighting standards. The boy's parents seemed oblivious to this though. He guessed they were just thrilled that a girl had her sights set on their son. The smart Saiyans didn't have the same advantages when it came to mating as the fighters did. Sure, they would most likely mate with other smart Saiyans, but because they were fewer in number and were restricted by class it narrowed down their list of possible mates. If the girl was weak as he thought, it wouldn't matter if she liked Raditz or not, she was born to an elite family, under his father's rule they could never be together. But that didn't mean that they couldn't under his. Raditz would be a part of a much higher class when he took over. The boy's mind was the key to much of their success on and off of the battlefield. The only thing that would really be in the way is if the girl was already betrothed to another, which was normal in elite households. That's why the elites were less bonded with their mates. The lower classes had to actually work for a mate, elites were just handed a mate and rarely did the two even like each other. It was all for the good of their race or that's what they had been told.

Raditz returned in a couple of minutes. He seemed unaffected by the girl, for the most part.

"So, what is her deal?" He needed to know everything.

"She has a heart condition. Most likely a transplant. I tried to contact her family, but I've got nothing." Raditz said flatly.

"Can't you just make her a new one?" He had seen Raditz grow new body parts before.

The boy sighed. "The heart is extremely complicated. Not as much as a brain, but still highly advanced. I would need a couple of years to even start it and it would take up all of my time to work on. Under the schedule I'm under it would be impossible for me to do it."

That would be problematic. Raditz's mind was needed elsewhere at the moment. "So where would she get one?"

"Probably from another source. Unless there is a death here on Planet Vegeta, she would have to get it off planet, from a different species. Which brings on a whole new host of problems."

He arched an eyebrow at his friend. He seemed to know a lot about this. "What kind of problems?" This could be an issue in the future. If Saiyans had to exchange organs with other beings it would be a hassle.

"Well, our blood isn't always compatible, there are over a thousand different blood types known to the galaxy and most repel each other. Some species have different blood types within their species. Us Saiyans are lucky that we only carry one blood type. It made switching out your damaged cells a whole lot easier."

"That toxin damaged my what?" He had no idea what Raditz was even talking about. Most of his bio talk was heard on deaf ears.

The long haired boy sighed. "That toxin damaged the building blocks of your body."

He watched boy look around at everyone in the room, finding most to be completely clueless. Tarble face palmed next to him.

"Brother, without cells your body would die. They make your body work. Your cells also contribute to your strength. If your cells are strong, than you are strong." Tarble drew out each syllable as if trying to get them all to understand.

The mother of Raditz was the first to speak. "So these cells make a warrior strong. If they're destroyed then it weakens you."

Tarble and Raditz nodded, glad that someone finally understood.

"I had no time when Vegeta came in. I was going to get you or dad for the blood transfer, but I was short on time."

He glanced back over at the taller boy. "You gave me your cells then?"

"Yes. They won't be as strong as your own, but they will keep you from experiencing aftershocks from the poison."

"What did you do with the old cells?" He inquired.

"I couldn't just leave them lying around, so I replaced my living cells with your dead ones." His eyes turned over to Kakarot. "I did his as well."

He wondered how Kakarot got exposed. "Did you figure anything out from Kakarot before he passed out?"

"No. He was too freaked out over the needles." This time Raditz laughed. His father shook a little, it seemed that Bardock also had an aversion to needles. "Do you remember anything from this morning? Was there anything out of place?"

He had to stop and think it all through. "Tarble and I had breakfast by ourselves, but he wasn't infected."

"That rules out the breakfast then. It wasn't placed in your food."

"How do you know?" He wondered.

"Brother." His face snapped back to Tarble. "I ate the same food you did and I didn't get the toxin. Also Kakarot got it. Was there anything that the two of you did before your training?"

His mind flashed back to them checking their power levels. The elites had kept their distance from them. "We checked our power levels."

Tarble's face turned back to Raditz. "Do you think that they left the residue on the scouter?"

Raditz crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "It's a possibility, but I don't see any Saiyan besides myself knowing how to control that substance." Raditz's eyes grew suddenly. "So that's why."

"What's why?" He was growing annoyed.

Tarble seemed just as confused next to him. "What is it Raditz?"

"Don't you think that it more than just a coincidence that the King just named us allies with the Tech-Techs? A species known for technological advancements. I have no doubt that one of them could have been the ones to create the toxin." Raditz growled, his eyes turned on the young girl laying on the table across the room.

This girl may have all the answers they needed. If only she would wake up and start talking.

Tarble looked even more annoyed. "She didn't give up much to go on last time she was awake."

"Yes, but she did say something about betrayal. This girl may be the key to figuring out this mystery. She has seen enough misery from the look of her." Raditz reminded them.

The Saiyan known as Bardock looked over as Kakarot started to sit up. The man smiled as he hugged the boy. "Dad, what's wrong?" The boy's mother moved in squishing him with her hug as well.

His eyes turned back to Raditz, who had his attention elsewhere. He was working on the female Tech-Tech's wounds. "Gure shouldn't be moved for a while. We heal faster than her kind, so we need to take precautions when dealing with her. So no dirt," His eye drifted to Tarble. "or grease should be brought in here."

Tarble made a small grunt in annoyance. "If she had just explained what had happened instead of going on and on about this guy, she would have saved us a whole lot of digging."

"Well, she is in shock. From the sound of it, her world came crashing down. Whoever this person is, they betrayed not only her, but her entire race. If my feelings are correct, this person may be in contact with his highness." Raditz said as Kakarot tried to get free from his parents grasp.

The boy finally pulled free wincing as he went, but was pushed back down by his older brother.

"Brother, I can get up."

"You may not have as much damage as Vegeta, but you still need your rest." The older said in a stern voice.

Kakarot gave him a look of disbelief. "But I'm fine." The boy was breathing heavily.

"Kakarot stay still and just let your body heal. The boost you'll get from this will increase more if you stay still."

"But Raditz, I need to find who did this and rip them apart." Kakarot argued.

"You can't do that now. You're too weak for that!" Raditz argued.

Kakarot gave him a shocked look. "I'm not weak. You're the weak one!"

Raditz walked away not giving his brother any mind. "At the moment you are. It won't last long. Just a couple of days at most." He noticed that Raditz was ignoring Kakarot's last comment.

"Kakarot just listen to him." He didn't like it either, but if anyone knew what was going on with their bodies, it would be Raditz. "I'm in the same boat as you. We will just have to wait."

Kakarot grumbled, but didn't stop giving his older brother a dirty look. Raditz just ignored him. "Tarble can you help me real quick?"

He watched as his younger brother walked over and helped the older Saiyan remove a massive book from a shelf. "What do you need this for?" Tarble asked.

"It's an old bio book. It should give me some of a background on how her kind works. The Tech-Techs are similar to many other species." Raditz began.

The door cracked open and the girl from before reappeared. She looked tired, but her face told him that she couldn't sleep.

"Onna get back to bed." Raditz said, not looking up.

"But I can't get something out of my head." She said quietly, looking off to the side.

Raditz basically dropped everything he was doing and walked over to her. "Just try to sleep. I can give you a sedative if you need one."

She shook her head almost violently. "No, that's not it. I couldn't help but over hear you talking about the toxin files."

This took Raditz by surprise. "What about them?"

"Don't you remember? We put precautions on them."

Tarble dropped the massive book on the floor. Raditz's eyes grew wide. "You're saying someone in this lab deciphered it." Raditz said, his mouth sounded dry.

The girl nodded, as she started speaking in a different language. He was surprised when his brother answered back, a dark look appearing on his face. Raditz spoke again, only now in the strange language that he couldn't understand.

He looked over at Kakarot, who just looked plain annoyed. The boy's parents looked in awe of the entire thing.

He made a loud grunt, trying to get the three Saiyan's attention, but they seemed distracted. Tarble ran out the room, only to return seconds later with a data sheet. The three began speaking again in that strange language. Something about those words made him angry. It was like some inborn hatred for the language itself. He didn't understand how he could hate something as stupid as a language, but he did. He had no problem with others using their native tongue in front of him before, so what was so different about this language?

Tarble let out a laugh as he saw the look of confusion on their faces. Raditz seemed to do the same, followed by Onna. She giggled. "Sorry, we use this for a lot of our reports."

"What is it?" He asked crossing his arms as he leaned back against his pillows.

"It's Tuffle." She said still smiling.

This shocked him a little. The Tuffles were dead and destroyed. How on Planet Vegeta did they even find their language?

Raditz smirked. "A lot of the old Tuffle books lying around the training centers are written in Tuffle. That's where I picked it up."

"Yeah and Raditz taught it to me." Tarble said.

Onna giggled. "I found it in a bunch of old books in our maid's quarters. She said they were a family heirloom, so I would often go in there and look at them. I wasn't of any use on the battlefield so they just helped me pass the time. They weren't kind of books Raditz found though. More like histories and mythologies." He eyes turned back to Raditz. "Did you know that the Tuffles weren't even from this planet? They landed here around 10,000 years ago. They were looking for riches at the time, but they left for about a 4,000 years."

Raditz looked intrigued. "Why did they leave?"

She looked so excited. "It said it was because of the golden ora. They faced off with a tribe of Saiyans, the story says that after they killed the chief, the sky filled with clouds as lighting dotted the land and the sky. One Saiyan was enveloped in a golden ora, they barely survived her wrath."

Now this had his attention. Was this girl speaking of the legend of the Super Saiyan. It was just a myth, but he had always believed in it.

Raditz smirked. "So why did they come back?"

"Because enough time had passed. They believed that it was just a myth. When they returned the planet was already deemed Vegeta by the Saiyans and the tribes were gone. The royal family existed and the King at the time was named Tarble." She stopped turning to the younger prince. "Just like you."

He was kind of shocked. The Saiyans had never recorded their history, but this girl seemed knew more than he did. His father had always told him that every King was named Vegeta. If the Tuffle stories were true then he would have to work harder. He could become the legend, oh how that would suit him. He would have no problem taking over the galaxy if he was a Super Saiyan.

"I wonder what that does to someone's body. If they are able to get to a level like that." Raditz said deep in thought.

Onna seemed very happy with herself, not only did she get Raditz's attention, she got to talk about something she was interested in at the same time.

"What else do you know about this legend?" He asked, giving the girl his attention as well.

"What all do you want to know?"

He smirked. "Tell me everything." If his father wanted to try and take him down, he would do it in the most humiliating way possible. He would take down the bastard as a legend.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note

 _So much interaction, lol. So the next chapter is going to basically be Onna telling the legend of the Super Saiyan, from the point of view of the original one. No, I do not believe the Bardock special. Also I figured that this would make Onna a little more enjoyable. And of course Vegeta wants to know how to do it, lol. Gure may not wake up for a couple of chapters. But this gives us a little more back story on the Saiyan's as a people more than anything._


	12. Chapter 12

All eyes were on Onna as she sat back down. She looked embarrassed, Raditz guessed that she wasn't used to all of this attention. He figured that she needed someone to just start her off.

"So how does this story start?" Vegeta looked a little agitated. He guessed that the prince wanted to know if it was possible.

"Well…ummm…" She prattled off nervously.

"Start when you're ready." He said, noticing her small smile again as she looked at him. Again he felt that strange tugging, but he ignored it.

"Well it all begins….

* * *

The wood trampled under her feet as she made it back to the clearing. She hoped she wouldn't be late. Today was an important one for her youngest brother and she wouldn't miss it for anything.

She never tired as her feet met the stone and dirt, sometimes getting pricked by needles and seeds from the overgrowth that surrounded her. She readied herself for the hanging limps up a head. Jumping over them with ease. Landing near an outcrop of boulders and cliffs, just below those cliffs was her home.

The small grassland clearing was just under her now. She smiled to herself as she watched the village below her. They hadn't started yet. She made to jump down the cliff, using her tail to grab onto the side. Making down the cliff with ease.

Her eyes found her family's hut. Just a small hut made of mud and branches. She noted the smoke coming from the small hole in the roof. Her mother had a fire going.

She moved back the fur pelt that covered the doorway, only to find her mother cooking away. Her father and brothers were absent.

Her mother gave her a disapproving glare. "Ve, you're late."

She looked down in sadness. She hoped that she could have sent him off. "I tried to get back as fast as I could."

"What were you even doing? Today was not the best day to be running off. Wait until your father returns, he was already angry with you when you left."

She rolled her eyes. "The forest calls to me, I need to figure out why."

"But you couldn't let go of that for today. Busa was so excited about today and you almost ruined it!" Her mother screeched.

She signed. "The last thing I wanted to do was make everyone upset. I just want to understand what it wants." She said gesturing to the wood.

"Well do that some other time. At least stay home tonight and tomorrow. Busa will want to show you his first kill and our neighbors to the east are making a visit." Her mother's anger seemed to float away with this information. She knew why, cringing at the thought. As the first born and only daughter of the chief, she was required to mate with the first born son of one of the neighboring tribe's leaders. Not that she didn't want a mate someday, but she didn't like them.

Of the three suiters, Pota's was a jerk, an overweight boy who liked to throw his weight around. Everything he said made her cringe. The boy certainly didn't know anything of the wood, he just sat and ate whatever his clan gave him. Then there was Letace. Now that was an ego. He was always bragging. During hunts he would often take credit for taking down the large kills, but she knew that was a falsehood. It was always his brother Ruub that did all of the work. Last but not least was Verrot, the rottenest of them all. He was always looking for a reason to over kill everything. If he saw an entire herd, he wanted them all destroyed. Even though the meat would go bad in a couple of days. It was a waste.

Just thinking over her options made her sick to her stomach. She cursed that she was the eldest child. What made it worse was that her father made the decision, she got no choice in the matter and it looked like his favorite was Verrot. And Verrot would be the one in the village tomorrow.

She sighed. "Why do I even have to mate with one of them?" She said it as a whisper, hoping that her mother wouldn't hear what she said.

"Because it is your duty. You are the daughter of a chief. Every female will be looking to you for guidance and you must be a guiding light for them." Her mother urged.

She made a groan in frustration, just as the door opened. Her father and brother's piling in. Busa had blood on him, but that was to be expected from a young Saiyan's first hunt.

Her mother flew right past her, hugging her youngest to herself. "So how did it go?"

"The boy took down three antelope. We will have plenty of meat a week." Her father said proudly, before his eyes landed on her. "I see you have returned Ve. What reason do you have for not being at the sendoff?" The man's happy demeanor had faded.

"The forest…"

She was interrupted by her brother, Yaras. "The forest this, the forest that. Really Ve I don't understand what is so great about the forest."

"Without the forest we could not make our homes and we would have no food supply, outside of meat. The forest is the reason we are alive." She snarled.

Her father pushed her back. "That may be, but that is no reason to be running off into the woods every day." The man growled, showing his teeth. "You will stay here for the night and when Verrot gets here you will accept his offer to mate."

She froze. "What…"

"I have made up my mind. You will mate before you get anymore wild ideas. No daughter of mine is going to be running around like some deviant."

As she looked around the room, she took in the expressions around her. Yaras looked amused. Busa looked happy, but that probably had to do with his first kill more than anything, and her mother looked thrilled. Her eyes snapped back to her father, a look of victory on his face.

It felt like her entire world was collapsing. Her freedom would be gone come sunrise. She couldn't let that happen. She would wait until they were asleep. She would have to be careful the moon would be out tonight, which would hinder her escape, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try.

* * *

Today was the day. They were to start landing soon. He turned to his captain, wondering what that man was thinking.

The scanners had indicated that the planet below had a very large amount of painete. A crystal so rare that the royal family back home was willing to pay them billions for it. It would make Planet Fruzu plenty of money as well. He could just imagine coming back to his home planet with the riches he desired.

"When we land, we have to set up a base. After then we can start digging up those rocks. If you see any natives, try and barter with them before shooting. They probably have no idea how much this rock his worth, so we can easily low ball them." The man commanded his leading officers.

He gave the man a small smirk. He had no qualms with killing the first native he saw. It wouldn't be the first time. He made his way back to his men, who were eagerly awaiting his orders.

"Commander Tarine, what are Captain Quat's orders?"

He smirked for his crew to see. "Kill all natives on site."

* * *

Darkness came faster than she thought it would. Her family was lying in a pile as they always did for sleep, she slowly wriggled out, careful not to wake them. Just as she reached the fur pelt door, she felt herself being pulled back, her eyes turned to face her mother's glaring gaze.

"Where do you think you're going?!" He mother's loud voice made the rest of the family stir.

She had no time, pulling herself free of her mother grasp and running out into the night. She didn't look up, but she knew the moon was out in full. The landscape was brightened from the pale blue light it sent off.

She heard their screams and yells, but she didn't turn back. She would continue forward. She wouldn't lose her freedom. Her mind calculated every step, remembering the land as she made her way. She would have to rely on her senses alone to make it to the tree line. The woods began to call to her again. The sound like a siren was calling her forward to safety. A mystical and soothing voice that seemed to fill her every being.

As she reached the trees, she burst into tears. She could never go back now. Her family would hate her. Especially her father. She was a Saiyan without a clan now. She had heard the rumors covering the fate of such individuals, all that they ever found was the remnants of those Saiyans.

But she wasn't like those Saiyans, she knew how to hunt. She knew how to make a shelter, but she didn't know how other Saiyans would react to her. Her family's tribe and the three others were not the only tribes around these parts and the other tribes were not in any way allies to her nor her clan.

She continued walking, not stopping for a second. Now that she couldn't see the moon through the brush, she could look up at the branches. The forest looked so much different at night. Almost eerie in a way. The air here was cooler too and it made her regret not grabbing something warmer. Only an extra pelt would have helped. She now wished that her hair was longer, as her's only reached her shoulders.

A strong wind hit her back and she turned hearing a rustling in the brush. She sighed, thinking to herself that it was just an animal. No Saiyan would be out at this time. Not when the moon was out.

The rustling got louder, but now she was prepared for it, bracing herself for the beast that would break through the brush. It was strange as she was met with a pair of glowing red eyes. She backed up. She knew of no creature that looked like that. She kept backing up until she ran into a tree. The trunk spooked her and she ran forward, hitting something really hard. She tried to move backward but felt something around her. Her eyes snapped up, to find a man looking down at her. He was Saiyan, but his eyes glowed red. His hair went straight up and his eyebrows seemed to be attached to the top of his eyes. He had the beginnings of a widow's peak forming on his forehead.

He gave her a small smirk. "So what is a girl like you doing in our woods?"

She felt a cold chill go down her back as he spoke. His voice was like ice. "I…I was just…"

He continued to look her over. "You were running away from your kind."

"How do you..?"

He let out a chuckle, but refused to let her go from his grasp. "It is edged into your face. Our wood gives you a sense of safety does it not?" His voice seemed to be a little warmer.

She nodded as he finally let her go. Now that she was farther away from him she could get a better look. He had on the same pelts that she had, only they were darker in color. His eyes returned to being the normal Saiyan black and for some reason she felt weak in the knees.

"I'm guessing that you can't return home." He smirked, but she didn't feel offended by his words.

She looked down. "Yes, your right."

His hand came under her chin, pulling her face up to look at his. "Tell me why."

She felt like jello, the combination of his appearance and voice were doing things to her that she didn't understand. "My father was going to force me to mate with a man I detest."

His smirk grew. "So what made this man detestable?"

"He has a lack of disregard for this world. Over killing is a waste." She said in anger.

The man frowned. "That is bothersome. So you ran away to the forest, why?"

She could feel tears starting to form in her eyes as she ripped herself away from the male. "It's calming here. A voice calls me to it."

"A voice you say? Maybe it is fate that you ran into me then."

She turned back, wiping her face as she did. "What do you mean?"

He grabbed her hand. "You'll see. Come with me."

She had more than one alarm going off in her head. One saying that she shouldn't trust this guy and the other saying that she would just die on her own. Suddenly she noticed that he was dragging her into the open. "Wait!"

He stopped looking at the moonlight on the ground, then a wild grin came on his face. "I see, you transform under the moon then."

"All of us transform." She wondered why he was forgetting this detail.

His grin grew as he came around and grabbed her tail. A strange sensation rocked her body and she gave out a purr. She turned red as he froze. Grabbing at another Saiyan's tail was a strict taboo, only family and mates were granted permission.

He chuckled a little. "So you like what you see?"

She turned redder. "No, you just surprised me."

"If you are to come with me, I need to see your tail." He seemed to be getting a thrill out of this. "Trust me. The moon looks wonderful."

She hesitated. Not knowing what to do. "I don't know."

"The wood has call you here. I think it's best if you listen to me."

What else could she do, he was right. She had no other options right now. She gave him a slight nod and he came forward. Her breath caught as his hands found her tail again. His eyes seemed to stare directly into hers as if he was searching for something.

Suddenly a sharp pain came from her back and she let out a scream, she turned around to find her tail on the ground. "What did you do?!" She screamed at him.

"I freed you from the moon's gaze." She noticed the man still had this tail.

"But what about yours, it's still intact!" She pointed at the flickering tail before running up and grabbing it.

He let out a strange hissing noise before grabbing her hand. He was trying to keep her from ripping it off. His eyes seemed to glaze over though. She noticed this, but instead of pushing forward. She felt him pull them out of the forest. Under the moon. She kept her eyes closed as they fell to the ground. His weight, pushing her into the dirt. She opened her eyes seeing the moon for the first time, his face seemed to glow with it. Her heart raced. The voices in the back of her mind stopped. The forest was no longer calling her name.

She barely found her voice. "Who are you?"

He smirked again. "Tarble, but call me Tar for short."

She found that she rather liked the name.

"What about you?" He seemed to be sniffing at her hair.

"Ve…that's what everyone calls me."

A small grin covered his face. "But your full name?"

"Vegeta."

To Be Continued….

 _Hmmm…So that's how I think the Royals got their names lol. The whole Vegeta is a girl's name thing is kind of taken from the TFS joke where Vegeta and Goku keep saying that Trunks is a girl's name. Also all of the Saiyan's from Ve's family have names based on the word vegetable in different languages. Verrot is actually the Dutch word for rotten. Painete is an actual stone on Earth and is the rarest gemstone in the world. It was named after some guy with the last name Pain. So it is not a pun on it being a pain in the ass to was named after some guy with the last name Pain. So it is not a pun on it being a pain in the ass to find._

 _I also wonder what those red eyes are for. If you want to know, Tar is in fact a Saiyan that cannot become an ozzaru like Raditz and Tarble from the present._

 _These past chapters should only take up around three chapters total of the story. Also the next update will be Weds this week._


	13. Chapter 13

They made their way through the forest after a couple of hours. She still couldn't believe she did that. She just met Tar. How could she just submit to a man she had never even met? There was something about him that made her bend to his will. Whether it was the way he spoke or the look in his eyes, she still found herself in awe of him. The fact that he walked in the moonlight was crazy enough. He didn't change at all to her utter surprise.

She was also taken with how the night really looked. Her entire life she had never once seen the moon in full. Now she wondered how she had ever lived without its light.

As they passed a stream, she glanced down to find the moon's reflection lighting up the water below. It was like a mirror for the sky. As it not only showed the moon but the entire night sky was showcased. The stars, the blackness, and the cloud all molded into something far more beautiful than she could imagine.

"I see that you like it then." Tar chuckled, a smug look on his face.

She grimaced. "Wipe that smug look off of your face!"

A smirk appeared. "You weren't saying that an hour ago." He came close enough so that she could hear his breathing in her ear. "You seemed to be enjoying it."

She pulled herself away before she could get caught in the moment. "Don't think that because I gave it to you once that you'll be getting it again." She pouted. Storming off away from him.

Sure, she liked the man, but she had only known him for ten minutes, maybe twenty before she….rolled with him under the moon. She leaned against a boulder as the memory came back to her. His lips over hers, the tugging of pelts as they hit the grass near them, her cries of pleasure as he did the deed. All of it was making her shiver slightly. She had broken another one of their laws, participating in a more than one taboo. First, she let him touch her tail, then she gave him the one that thing that was solely meant for her mate.

She wanted to cry, how could this night get any worse?

Just as she was about to buckle in tears, he strode over. He looked unamused, but was quick to grab her and hold her against him. He said nothing, but she felt comforted in a way.

"What are you..?"

He made a small grunt in annoyance. "You're my mate. Stop sulking."

She felt her eyes grow wide in shock. What was he talking about? They only shared the dirt, not something that permanent.

He sighed. His hand went between her neck and shoulder. She felt a slight amount of pain there. Comprehension hit her. They were mates. He bit her, he claimed her. She let herself be claimed by a random stranger.

He chuckled again. "I see that you understand then." He moved forward finding the bit mark he left and went over it with his mouth. The sensations that went through her made her feet into jello again. She embraced him, so that she wouldn't fall over. His mouth moved away. "So you see Ve." His hand pulled her chin up to look at him. "There is no escape. You're my mate."

She felt a strange sense of calm come over her, as she closed the gap between them. He smirked into the kiss, but she didn't care if he was conceited about it.

He released himself from the kiss, arrogant as ever. "Now come Ve, I must introduce you to my clan."

Her ears perked up. "You're from a clan?" She wondered if they were allies of her father. They couldn't be, she would have seen him before, wouldn't she?

"My clan prefers not to deal with others. Besides we prefer the night anyway." His overconfident smile never left his face.

"So you're not the only one that can walk under the moon." She still wouldn't have believed the premise if he hadn't shown her.

His arrogant smirk grew. "Of course, where did you think I acquired it?"

She said crossly. "I don't know, you could have just been some random freak."

With this she finally knocked that arrogant look off of his face. "Any Saiyan can walk in the moonlight, they just need to remove their tail."

"Then why do you still have one?" she growled.

He was back to chuckling at her. "I got it from my parents. My whole clan can walk under the moon without issue."

"So it's a group of freaks then!"

"My clan aren't freaks, we don't run around during the day acting like stupid monkeys." Tar huffed.

"Stupid monkeys?" She wondered what he was talking about.

He sighed. "Those apes, we were once them. But we have evolved passed that."

She squinted her eyes at him. "What gibberish are you spewing?"

He face palmed. "I mated with an idiot."

If she wasn't angry before, she was now. "I am not an idiot!" And with that she smacked him across the face, which didn't do what she expected it to. Tar was launched through the air, crushing against a boulder. She was frozen in shock, he looked strong, but that seemed to be a farce. "I mated with a weakling."

He growled as he pulled himself back up. "I am not a weakling!" He growled. "I just fight differently than you do."

She crossed her arms. "Sounds like a weakling to me."

"If you don't believe me, then come and see. The Nightwalker clan awaits you."

Nightwalker clan, she had heard the name before but it was believed to be an old tale parents would tell their young children. But that story was one meant to scare kids into staying in at night. The Nightwalkers were said to run around under the moon and eat children that had run off into the woods at night. In a way they were kind of correct. She ran off into the wood and she had been devoured by this man only hours ago, just in a much different way.

"So did you lose your tongue or something?" He was still trying to get some needles out of his hair.

"No!" She answered to fast.

He looked at her in suspicion. "You have a guilty look on your face, what is it?"

"Nightwalkers eat people." She said flatly, waiting for his response.

He just laughed. "So you monkey's still tell those old tales, huh."

"No, I know for a fact that is true."

He gave her an annoyed look, but she spoke again before he could ask.

"Considering the fact that it was the first thing that you did when you met me."

He stared at her awkwardly. "The first thing that I did was question you, that didn't happen until later."

"But you still did it." Now she was giggling at the look of embarrassment on his face. She guessed that he was mad with himself now. "Did I embarrass you?"

He huffed. "We still need to drop by my clan."

"You're changing the subject." She was about to giggle again when he lifted her over his shoulder, carrying her like a sack of potatoes. "Put me down!"

"We're going to my clan and that's it."

* * *

Back at the hut, the chief was beside himself. How dare she? Ve would be getting it when she got back home. If she came back home. No Saiyan ever came back from the night, especially if they didn't become an Ozzaru. She didn't become one. He would have heard it. Which meant she made it to the forest and who knows what was lurking in there after dark. She had been gone for a long time now, the sun would be waking soon.

He turned to his mate, who was crying in the corner, she felt as if she failed. "If I had just held onto her…"

"No, she still would have found a way to run off." He said flatly. He knew his daughter hated Verrot but he was really the best choice he had. There ways were cemented into them, they couldn't betray their culture.

"What will this do with our alliances? Without Ve, the arrow clan will most likely turn on us. The shield and the rock will follow." His wife said sadly, petting the hair of their youngest.

If only she knew what she had done, then maybe Ve wouldn't have been so against it.

He could now see the sun start its long travel up into the sky. Day was upon them. He exited the hut, he would need to inform the village.

Out of the corner of his eye a strange figure floated through the sky. It had a strange shine to it.

The figure came closer and a sense of dread came over him. His wife had now followed him her sadness replaced with fear. "Phak…what is that?"

He continued to watch as other members of their tribe started to immerge. All staring up at the strange thing in the sky. Now that it was closer, it was rather large.

As it came down to land, he stayed wary. Not trusting the strange creature as its mouth opened. In seconds, people began to immerge.

They looked strange, no pelts covered their scrawny bodies. Just more of the strange shiny substance. Their hair was in multiple colors as well, some being as strange as green like the leaves or blue like the water. On their backs there were many strange tube like devises. But they were holding some weird looking machines. The strange thing began to make a loud beeping sound.

"Look men! It's right here!" They shouted and continued in a strange language.

What was here? It was just their home, nothing that some outsiders would understand.

A baby cried and the strangers all turned to see them, finally realizing that they were there.

Suddenly the one of the strange devices on their backs came down into one person's hands. Followed by a loud exploding sound. He turn to see where it came from and watched as an elder of his tribe fell to the ground. There was no light in his eyes, he was gone.

He turned back to the strangers in rage. This was his home, he would protect it. He felt his wife gather all of the females with children to her. As all of the others came behind him. They would defend their home.

"You have killed one of our own. You must be destroyed." He snarled. His tail began to whip around till it was around his waist. The other's followed suit.

More of the strangers, grabbed at the odd weapons on their backs. Blasting down more of their number.

They launched forward, moving incredibly fast. He landed on the side of the first one that shot the elder. Moving quickly he grabbed the man's arm, ripping it from his body. The man screamed in agony much to his pleasure.

He felt something cold pressed against him. He turned his face to see the strange weapon pressed into his side. It was gone in a second as one of his men came down, smashing into the purple haired man.

He smirked as they finished off two more, but their number were still falling. The best thing they could do was to gather more fighters. He gave a sharp cry to let his tribe know what they were doing.

With great speed, he and the other made it to safety, he would need to find his wife. She would already be heading to one of their allies. He called two to his side. "Tomat go to the shield and Celar go to the rock. This means war!"

* * *

She was frozen in shock. "Tar…what is this?" The village around them was gone. His clan was gone.

He let out a sharp cry, rage filled his eyes. "Who?! WHO DARE DO THIS?!"

She watched sadly. The village was rattled with blast marks. She cringed as she walked by the corpses. Some burned to a crisp. She placed her hand on his back as he cried out again. His eyes began to flash in and out, the red color returning.

"I WILL FIND WHO DID THIS AND I WILL KILL THEM!" He raged again, punching his hand into a singed hut.

She felt tears pull at her eyes as she wrapped her arms around him to steady him. He was falling to his knees. "I'm sorry." She whispered into his ear as he continued to howl.

She pulled herself as close to him as possible, she didn't want him doing something stupid. "I should have been here." He grumbled.

"Whatever it was, you couldn't have helped them. You would have died too." She said it sadly.

The brush started rustling. She rose growling. He followed suit, but stopped as three children came out from their hiding places.

She looked over all three of them, two boys and a girl, all covered in dirt. Tears had stained their faces. She realized that they had to watch their clan be destroyed.

She got eye level with the one of the boys, she wanted to ask what had happened.

This boy had very unruly hair, it seemed to go off in many different directions.

The other boy had long hair, it almost touched the ground, while the girl had hair that came slightly down her back.

"Karot, Radtic, Bastia…what happened here?" Tar asked, calmer than she thought he could.

"Those big shiny things came from the sky, strange people came out of them." The boy with the wild hair said angrily.

He nodded at the boy, while she stayed confused. "It seems we have visitors on our planet then."

"Visitors?"

"And it looks like they will stop at nothing to get what they want. No clan is safe. They will go after anyone."

She felt her stomach clench and fall. Her family…they were in danger. They could already be dead. "We must find the other tribes." She said anger was filling her every being. "Our people won't take this lying down. A war has begun."

To Be Continued…

 _Author's Note_

 _Yeah, this was supposed to be out on Weds, but I'm in the middle of preparing for finals so this took longer. After my finals, I'm not going to be in school, so expect more updates as I won't be returning to school until next fall. Also my other large story is almost complete so I can focus more time on this one for a while and clean up some of the projects on my profile page._

 _If you like what you're reading, why not give this story a review or do the same if you don't like something. I would like to hear your feedback._


	14. Chapter 14

"I need to go back, my people need me." She said turning to her mate.

He nodded. "You three find a good spot to hide, I will return later." The three children began to hide without argument.

"You're going with me?" She said, fear crossing her mind. Her clan wouldn't be open to Tar at all.

He smirked at her. "Well I can't just let my mate run off without me."

* * *

Within a day all of their ally clans had gathered together, they had all heard the story that he and his clan told. Now worry had spread. They were strong warriors, but without the moon they would be sitting ducks. The strange blasts that came from the odd tubes were too much. Only one of them had been recovered and they still didn't know what to think about it.

"We must crush them, destroy them to the point where they will regret every landing on our rock." Verrot turned to face the growing crowd, his hair was very short by Saiyan standards, only a short V like mohawk that started from his ears and went inward.

He seemed to get some of the tribe to agree with him as a small chorus of cries followed him. Cheering on his ideas.

"Sadly it won't be that easy. There may only be a few of them, but these magic tubes send out a lot of fire. The best thing we can do for now is learn their movements." The chief said, looking to his wife. They had already seen these things in action, he wasn't going to go into his unprepared.

"That may be well and good, but I refuse to stand around and do nothing!" Cheers followed, as Verrot smirked.

"Your right, we can't just stand around." All eyes turned to find a Ve standing just above them on an outgoing rock. "But that doesn't mean we can just blindly rush in."

Verrot's smirk became a glare. "Silence woman, know your place!"

"One clan has already been eliminated. We cannot afford to throw caution to the wind!" The crowd began to murmur amongst itself.

Verrot's eyes narrowed. "And how would you know of this?"

She could feel every eye on her, but Tar made himself visible before she spoke. "Because she has seen devastation first hand." She noted the wary eyes as they landed on the unfamiliar male. "My clan was the first to fall."

Verrot's glare intensified as he stared as Tar. "Should we really take the word of an outsider as truth?"

Tar began to growl, but was silenced by Ve's hand. He looked her in the eye for a second before nodding. By this point the crowd around them was giving them questioning glances. Her parents were staring in confusion, she wondered when reality would hit them. "If you can't take his word then take mine. A village filled with the scorched bodies of men, woman, and children. There was no regard for their lives whatsoever. Only four of the Nightwalker clan is still breathing."

The hush came over the crowd as they all began to stare at Tar again. "Nightwalker…' Verrot's glare had been knock way, a look of utter shock now covered his face.

Tar was now smirking, "Yes, simpleton. I am what you refer to as a Nightwalker."

"Tar." She warned him, not wanting him to start a fight. Knowing how much weaker Tar would be compared to Verrot.

He crossed his arms, looking like he was about to pout. "Really Ve, you take all of the fun out of everything."

At his moment, her father brushed through the crowd to take a closer look. She refused to look at him, keeping close to Tar. Even though she didn't know much about the Nightwalker, she felt more at ease in her mate's presence. She felt his eyes on her, making her look up at him. Strangely his stare didn't creep her out. It just bond her to him more.

She could also feel his father's eyes on her. As she glanced back at him, she could see that he was focused on one thing. "Ve, where is your tail?"

After everything that happened, she had forgotten about the loss of her tail. "I had it removed. It was the only way!"

Okay, so she lied. She really couldn't tell them that Tar had ripped it off, now could she. They would most likely turn on him.

"Why would you do that?!" Her father yelled at her, anger clear in his voice.

"Because without your tail, you can walk under the moon without fear." Tar answered for her.

Her father's glare turned on him. "So you convinced her to remove it."

"She would have become an ozzaru with it, she had no choice." She found herself impressed with how Tar was holding his own. "It will grow back in time. Give it a couple of weeks and she will have her tail again."

Verrot smirked. "So you're saying we could carry on an attack at night, if we didn't have our tails then?"

"I believe so, these people seem to come out in the day. My village was most likely attacked at sunrise. If they are staying on planet, they would have to be sleeping here as well." She watched as some tilted their heads at the word planet, Tar had already explained the concept to her.

"So why do you still have your tail then?" Verrot said again, pushing her father out of the conversation again.

"My people grew used to living under the moon, our bodies refuse the change."

With that Verrot reached around his back and grabbed his tail, showing no pain as he ripped it from his backside. He threw it to the ground. "Let me not regret listening to you outsider." And with that he flew back with the rest of his clan, most who were now following suit.

The other clans started away as well, leaving her with her family and Tar. She noted her father's distrust as he continued to glare at her and Tar. She could tell by the look in her father's eyes that he knew.

Her mother ran to her side. She looked rather angry. "You have some nerve, leaving in the middle of the night and showing up with a strange man. What will the clans think? What kind of example are you trying to set?"

"But mother I.."

"Really, the shame you have brought us child. You will go to Verrot later and have him take you as his mate." Her mother said with venom in her voice.

"I can't do that." She stated flatly. She looked at Tar, they had no choice.

"Why not, don't you remember you who you are?" The woman growled.

She was pushed back slightly by her husband. "Dear, a female cannot mate twice."

Her mother's eyes grew wide, as she stared. Her eyes going between her and Tar. "You…you didn't. Please tell me that you didn't!"

She released the breath, she didn't realize she had been holding, as Tar pulled her against him. "Mother, I would say I'm sorry, but I'm not."

Her mother turned to her father, "You're just going to accept this?!"

Her father didn't look very happy, but he seemed slightly relived. "If it weren't for this man's information, we would be waiting here to die. If we happen to survive this mess thanks to him, then I will be happy to concede my daughter to him."

She hadn't been expecting that, but jumped to hug her father anyway. Tar had let her go, as if he knew what she would do. She knew it would take some time but her mother would eventually warm up to the man.

"I should go and get the others. They have been hiding for some time now." Tar said, distancing himself from the family.

She pulled herself away from her father, in order to follow him. "Ve, I won't be gone long." He chuckled.

She blushed when she realized what she was doing. "I…"

"I'll be back soon." He kissed the side of her face, before running off into the wood.

She felt her mother's heated gaze on her and she turned to look at her in anger. "What is your deal? Tar is not a threat."

"I'm just looking out for your best interests."

"No, you just want to look good. Tar is my mate and you're just going to have to get used to it." With that she stormed off into a nearby hut, she wanted to get some of the sweat off of her face.

Her mother came in after her, still enraged. She froze as she watched her though.

"What?"

"Honey, are you trying to make yourself look nice for when that man returns?" There was an airiness to her mother's voice now. She then realized that she had never acted like this before.

She felt her cheeks turn red. "Look, I know you don't like him but…"

Her mother surprised her, by coming behind her and starting to clean out torn leaves out of her hair. "You can't look bad for your mate, now can you?" She nodded to her mother and the woman continued her work. "So why him? He must be something special to have caught your eye."

"I don't know. The voices of the wood stopped when I met him."

Her mother's eyes lit up. "So you have no reason to run there anymore. The wood call you to him. If that is the case, then I have no choice but to accept your mating."

She smiled for the first time as her mother finished. She was happy that her mother had finally seen things her way. Hopefully, Tar and the others could stop these monsters. Then and only then could they move forward with their lives.

* * *

Night fall had come and she stepped out into the night, her family her watching as the moon came over head. When nothing had happened. She heard a couple of cries. She knew what her father had done. His tail had been removed.

He came out and looked up at the sky as well. "So this is what it looks like."

She was about to say something as Tar returned, the three children following him. Karot seemed happy to see her. His hair looked even messier than it had before. "We helped Tar set up some traps."

"Did you now?" The boy nodded feverishly, as the other two ran into the hut.

"Get along now Karot." The boy looked a little disappointed, but left anyway.

"So you rigged the woods?" She asked, as he smirked.

"I told you. My kind fight differently than your kind. We use our minds instead of our strength. If any of those fiends tries to use the east side of the wood they will meet and end worse than death."

She was surprised at his words. He never seemed so threatening. "We should probably tell the others."

"I doubt they will go near it, I already stopped by their camp earlier. I figured Verrot wouldn't want to use the wood anyway. He seems more like a field fighter."

"I'm surprised that you two get along."

He chuckled. "We are different, but the same. He's what I would be if I was more battle oriented." He seemed to ponder something. "Maybe we could pair our children up with his."

"Don't get ahead of yourself." She felt herself smile as he nuzzled against her ear.

He stopped, much to her annoyance, but then noticed that her father was watching them. "You can wait till after the battle to breed, now is a time of action."

She looked at her mate and nodded to him, as they made their way across the clearing in silence. His hand caught hers, as she looked up every couple of minutes. If she still had her tail, she would have wound it with his.

As they reached most of the battle ready Saiyans, she could see them covering themselves in war paint. Her father moved forward, leaving them at the end of the meadow.

"I will find you after the fight." Tar said.

She turned to him. She didn't want him to go without her. "I'm fighting too. My clan is in danger. I must help them."

He shook his head. "You need to go back. I will find you after the fight." He kissed her and left her side.

She didn't like this feeling. She felt helpless. Her people would be fighting and she couldn't do anything. Even though she didn't like it, she headed back to her mother and the rest of the women and children. She hoped that her feelings wouldn't be correct.

* * *

The chief watched as Verrot and Tar went over attack plans, he was surprised at how well the two worked together. Tar was great at figuring out problems and how many Saiyans they would need on that side of the field. Verrot on the other hand was naming off groups that would be on those sides. Brains and brawn together on the battlefield, there was no way they would lose.

* * *

Ve returned to the hut just as her mother placed Busa in the bath, she laughed at his unwillingness. He must have thought that he didn't have to groom himself anymore after he got his first kill.

In the corner, Karot and the others were playing a game on the floor.

It all seemed so peaceful. She smiled to herself, as she exited the hut to go look at the stars. As she looked up, she heard a strange clicking noise. Instinct took over as she jumped away, just as a blast hit the ground.

She rounded on her attacker. Taking a look at his face. "Look boys, a little girl. Let's see how much she likes a blast to the face."

She growled, as another set up their magic device, aiming it at the long hut. She didn't think as she hurled herself at the man, ripping off one of his ears and letting out a cry.

The others from the hut heard her and she could hear them running out of the back with their children. Karot must have been leading them to the part of the forest that wasn't rigged.

The man pushed her to the ground, aiming his blaster at her side. She rolled, but was nicked on the side. Pain course through her body, but she refused to cave to it.

She rose back to her feet dodging another couple of blasts. Jumping into the air, she twisted around kicking the man in the face, before pushing his face into the dirt.

Her rage was growing, but at the same time she was feeling a tingling in her fingers and hands. She didn't take time to think about it as the man pulled on her leg, making her fall back to the ground.

He pinned her down, ready to blast with that thing, when she punched her arm against his. The man fell over in agony as a strange ball of light burst from her hand.

It had practically dissolved the man's arm into dust. She scooted away from his body as he bleed out onto the ground.

She tried to calm herself as she watched him die, but a then a scream came from the wood, there were more lurking about and the her other attackers had run in after them.

She focused some of her energy into her hands. Trying to see if she could do the same thing, the blast hit the ground and singed the grass. She could fight back against their blasting machines, she was a blasting machine now.

* * *

It didn't seem right, they had followed the smoke from the enemy camp, but found nothing. Only a massive hole in the ground. Why were they digging?

He looked over to Verrot, who looked angry about the lack of people to fight. "I thought you said that they would be here."

"They must have moved. Just like you, I have yet to come in contact with one of them. Maybe they are out crawling around. They must not have the same restrictions that we do." Tar said, looking over the technology around him. The only thing he found that would be useful was a set of armor. It looked quite durable. Much stronger than the pelts they wore. He would make a mental note of it for later.

Verrot turned around. "If they're not here, I suggest we start hunting them down."

He was about to agree, when a loud crash came from a strange tent. It was made of a material he had never seen before, it wasn't made of animal skin but instead a strange smooth substance.

He ran in, to find a twig of a man on the floor, hugging one of the blasting machines to himself.

Verrot came in behind him, a smirk on his face. "So there was one around here." He looked over the small person. "This is what we called a war over. Not impressive at all." He came forward, but he felt compelled to stop him.

Verrot gave him an annoyed look. "We need to figure out where the others are." With that he stepped forward. His eyes began to glow red. He took a deep breath before pushing on the man's mind. He smirked to himself as it caved in seconds, but the smirk fell from his face as the man's mind revealed the place. "We must return to the women. They are there."

Verrot gave him a strange look. "What is that?"

"We don't have time for that. I'll explain later. We need to get back to that main camp. Hopefully they haven't struck yet."

* * *

She continued into the forest, following the screams as she tried to figure out where the others had gone. She only hoped that she wasn't too late.

She jumped down the side through the trees. Scanning the ground for any signs of life.

As she reached a small clearing, she found them surrounded. They were all backed against a wall with those blasters facing toward them.

She pulled all of her rage together as she had done before, snarling as she hit the ground, gathering that energy in her hands again, before unleashing it upon them.

Three of them fell as the rest made to target her and only her. This was what she wanted. They started to concentrate their blasts together, but she was faster. Knocking more of them out with each blast.

"Move up the wall!" She urged the others. They didn't need to be told twice, but a couple of the strangers turned their blasters towards the wall.

She was about to cry out, when Verrot jumped down on the two of them before ripping their heads off.

If he was here, the rest of the fighters weren't far. He gave her a silent nod, as he turned back to face the on slot. "So how are you sending those blasts?!" He yelled over the machines.

"Try and put your energy into your hands. Once they feel numb, release it!" She yelled back.

She was surprised to see him catch on so fast, as he started firing the blasts in only a couple of minutes. Smirking at the devastation he was causing. Of course Verrot would love this.

Her eyes turned to find the other fighters coming into the field, which was now filled with broken bodies. She watched as many turned their fire on the newcomers. She let out a growl, trying to get their attention again.

It was then that her world froze. Her father was fighting two of them at the same time. A third came up behind him, sending a blast straight through him. She watched his legs buckle as life left his body. Rage and sadness filled her body, as the entire fight around them seemed to stop. The Chief of the Huntsmen clan had fallen.

"Oh, does this one's death bother you?" A man with strange orange hair stated.

The men around him started to laugh.

The man then pulled out a child, Busa had gotten separated from the others. "I guess that means we can just keep going then." The man said as the machine made the clicking noise.

She couldn't see anything, but the color red. She began to shake in rage, her body twitching in a way she didn't understand. Her full body was starting to feel numb, as if the energy was spreading everywhere.

The sky had filled with clouds and lighting began to strike around them. She covered her face as the power coursing through her body took over.

It felt like electricity was going through her body. She opened her eyes to find her body glowing, every person was staring at her.

All of the blasters aimed at her, shooting at her. She placed her hand in front of her, gathering all of the blasts in her hand. She looked at them all with a dull look on her face.

"Commander Tarine, what do we do?" Many of the strangers asked, fear now painted their features.

The man had frozen up. He seemed to not know what to say.

"Let that child down." She said calmly. "Leave this planet. Never return."

They seemed willing to comply, except the Commander. "I refuse." He pulled the blaster back up, about to shoot Busa in the head.

She moved faster than she thought possible, smashing the blaster to pieces. "I guess you forfeit your life then." With that she, landed a punch through the man's armor and chest. He spat up blood. "Let this be a reminder to all that come here. Our kind will not fall. We will not be pushed back. We are Saiyans." With that she grabbed the man's head ripping it off from his neck. She threw it at the other strangers. "So who is next?"

Suddenly they all fell to the ground. "We will leave! I swear to it!" She watched them run.

She smirked. "Remember to tell the rest the galaxy what you have seen here today. Tell them to leave this place be."

When the last one was out of sight, she didn't let her guard down. Not until an hour later as a strange metal device shot back into the sky.

She fell back to the ground, looking into a small pool of water. Her short black hair was glowing yellow and her black eyes were now blue. She took a deep breath and her body returned to normal.

When she turned back to her people, she found them all staring at her.

Tar had made it through the crowd, a wild smirk on his face. "That was amazing!"

Busa had run to hug her. The fear he had once had on his face was gone. "Sister, you went super."

Tar laughed. "Yes, Super Saiyan. I like the sound of that."

She blushed in embarrassment. "It's not like I planned that. It just happened."

"But it was still awesome." Karot said, jumping on Tar's back.

She looked out over the rest of the clans. Only to find them all bowing at her. "What are you doing?" Her eyes even fell on Verrot, who was doing the same.

"There is no need for separate clans. We will follow you Chief Vegeta, lead us well."

Her heart stopped. This couldn't be happening, they had named her Chief of all of the clans.

Tar came up behind her and hugged her against him. "Ve, my love, I believe this is just the beginning."

* * *

"And that's how the story of the Super Saiyan goes." Onna said finishing her story.

Tarble was laughing to himself as Vegeta grumbled to himself in the corner.

"What was that sister? I didn't hear you." Tarble joked.

Vegeta let out a growl. "If you call me that again, I don't care if we are brothers. I'll rip your throat out."

To Be Continued….

 _Autor's Note_

 _This chapter is long, lol. If you noticed Vegeta, kind of gets his personality from Verrot and Tarble is closer to Tar. Verrot's group are kind of the original elites. After this we go back to the normal chapters, now that we have some of the history out of the way._


	15. Chapter 15

Vegeta sat there for a second pondering the myth. While he wasn't too keen on the original Super Saiyan being female with his name, he couldn't deny that he wanted that power. If he could achieve it he would be unstoppable.

"Do you know anything else about it?" He asked, hoping that she would have the key for him.

Onna shook her head. "The only thing that I know is that she experienced a major loss. That may be a trigger for it."

"Well the chief was her father. She was probably close to him." Tarble said. Vegeta was surprised by the look of intrigue on his face.

His face turned to Raditz, who also seemed to be pondering something.

"What are you two thinking about?" He demanded, as he leaned back against his pillow, crossing his arms in the process.

"Just the word Nightwalker. The fact that that clan existed explains the why there are smart Saiyans." Raditz said clearly, but he was still confused and he wasn't the only one. He could see both Bardock and Kakarot scratching their heads.

"How so brother?" Kakarot asked.

Raditz sighed. "Four Nightwalkers survived the slaughter. Most likely meaning that their traits passed on to Saiyans from this era. We know that the Tarble from the past was a Nightwalker, who just like the Tarble from the present, could not become an Ozzuru. This trait was most likely recessive and still is recessive to the Saiyan gene pool."

Raditz looked annoyed as everyone seemed to stare at him like he was speaking nonsense. Tarble seemed to be the only one that nodded.

"That would mean that the other three Saiyans spread they're genes across the population." Tarble said.

Raditz seemed to just give up talking to the rest of them, keeping his focus on Tarble. "This would mean that the first generation after had no Saiyans with those genes. Most Saiyans today would most likely carry both genes, but the Nightwalker gene for the most part is very rare as there would only be a one in four chance of having it and a three in one chance of being a carrier."

"That wouldn't the only case, the dominate gene would also have the same rules applied to it." Tarble said and Raditz nodded.

He was just getting annoyed. "Could you both just speak in Galactic Standard?!"

Both of them turned back to him, as he saw a curious glint in Raditz's eyes.

"I think I have an idea. Remember that the first Super Saiyan did not have Nightwalker genes. She was pure Daywalker."

He was starting to gather what these genes things were. "How would that play a role?"

"Well may be a Super Saiyan cannot be a carrier of Nightwalker genes." Raditz said clearly.

He frowned. The royal family were carriers, Ve and Tar were mates, so he had to be a carrier as well. He could never become a Super Saiyan.

He leaned back to pout, just as Raditz smirked. "You know that I could check to see if you are a carrier."

He flashed his face back up to the long hair boy. "What do you mean? I would be a carrier. Just look at Tarble." He said pointing at his younger brother.

Tarble let out a small laugh. "Brother, that doesn't mean anything. Sure both of our parents are carriers, but that doesn't make you one."

Now he was just confused, but before he could answer Raditz had grabbed both of his parents and a light pen. He started drawing a strange group of boxes on a screen. "Okay. We know that my parents are both carriers so we can figure this out pretty easily." Kakarot had jumped up on the end of his bed and started to watch as well. "Now we will make my parents genes. We will call the dominate gene D for Daywalker and the recessive gene n for Nightwalker. Now my father's genes as a carrier would be Dn as would be my mothers. Now look at the box straight at the bottom corner it reads nn. This is what both Tarble and I are." Raditz chuckled, he seemed glad that he had all of their attention. "Now Vegeta, take a look at this top box. What do you see?"

The prince stared at the box. "I see DD, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Brother, it means that there is a chance that you and maybe Kakarot carry the DD genes or the Daywalker only genes." Tarble said, with excitedly.

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He still had a shot to become a Super Saiyan and it had to do with these gene things. His eyes shot to Raditz. "When will you know?"

Raditz smirked. "It will take me a couple of days. I have plenty of your DNA around here so I don't need a new sample."

He raised an eyebrow. "DNA?"

Raditz face palmed. "It's the stuff that has your genetic code on it. The stuff that make you, well you. Everything from how your body works to your appearance is in your DNA."

"But how did you get it? I didn't give you anything." Next to him Kakarot looked like he was about to start smashing his face against a wall. It was probably too much to take in.

Raditz pointed over his head, and he turned back to find the bags from his blood transfusion. With the story and all, he had almost forgotten what had happened. "So from those you can figure out whether or not I can become a Super Saiyan?"

Raditz smirked. "Pretty much." He watched as the boy's eyes went over to Kakarot. "I might as well check you as well." Raditz made his way back over to the bags. He seemed to be taking mental notes, which had him excited.

His eyes then turned back to the screen. Bardock seemed to be flabbergasted, just as his mate was at what they were seeing and hearing.

It was then that another part of the story flashed through his mind. The red eyes of the Nightwalkers. Would this mean that Raditz and Tarble could possibly use that mind reading power? This would definitely make him even stronger. He would file away that information for later. If it was possible it would just be another peg in the coffin for the rest of the galaxy.

If he could master the Super Saiyan and that red eye power was available to them then the Saiyan race would be unstoppable.

He looked over at Tarble and could see the boy was distracted. The Tech-Tech was starting to come to again.

"Really… You chose now to wake up." Tarble said annoyed. The boy crossed his arms and walked toward the bed. "Are you going to actually say something his time."

The girl seemed to chuckle. "Didn't I say everything before Prince Tarble?"

He watched his brother stiffen. He wasn't used to being addressed with his royal title like he was. "No. You were very vague."

She tried to sit up, but she seemed too weak for that. He then watched as his brother rolled his eyes before helping her sit up. He was taken aback by the different form. Tarble was right about that, why he would ever doubt Tarble was lost on him.

"I'm sorry. When you've been blasted with a couple of lasers and stayed in hiding without food for a couple of weeks you would also be a little out of it." She sent a smile at his brother, heck her eyes never seemed to leave his brother.

"I can see that. How about you start at the beginning." Tarble said leaning against the wall.

"My family, all of my family were betrayed. The ambassador of my planet, Yugot. He wanted to control our people. So he got the trust of our kind, my father included." She stopped, looking down. He could smell her salty tears from his bed. "He used that trust to kill them. Almost everyone is dead or enslaved. We had no power to stop him, as most of our warriors were brainwashed. I only barely escaped. I'm the only member of my family left." She stared down at her hands, which were now shaking. She had been through something traumatic. Tech-Techs weren't made for war. Even the warriors she described were nothing more than mockery to a true warrior like himself. No Saiyan would ever use a blaster that was for the weak. No their "Warriors" were nothing more than disgrace to the word. Brainwashing the weak was easy and no true warrior would fall to it.

He was going to ask a couple of questions, but Tarble seemed to be the only one catching her attention. "How did they die and why did he go after your family?"

She hugged herself. "Poison…they just froze up. Like they couldn't control their bodies." Tears burst from her eyes.

He was about to tell Tarble to stop, as she looked on the verge of hysterics, but was stopped again, as his brother walked up to the bed and grabbed her hand. Her eyes found his and he watched as her tears melted away.

"Do you know why you were targeted?" Tarble asked, not sounding as harsh as he had.

She looked away. "I am an abomination." Her voice said quietly.

Tarble looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"The royal family doesn't have girls. I shouldn't have left my room, but I had too. I heard them dying and I knew I was next." She said sadly, almost disappearing back into her despair.

He watched his brother's expression. "You were locked in a room?"

She nodded. "To the world I didn't exist."

He watched his brother's face turn from wary to anger. It hadn't been that long ago that Tarble had been locked away from the world.

He didn't even notice that his brother was still holding the girl's hand. "But you do exist. And if you didn't come here, we would know what we were up against."

Her eyes flashed back up at Tarble. This was the first time he could see some kind light in them.

"Are you some kind of angel? Did I die?" She asked and he recognized the look in her eyes. He had seen it on many of the younger females of the elite class when they looked at him. This Tech-Tech had it bad.

"No, just a Saiyan. Also you are alive." And it seemed Tarble had no idea. "Do you remember anything else Princess…"

"Gure. Just call me Gure." She interrupted. Tarble had a look of confusion was on his face. He couldn't expect the boy to understand, he was only 8 after all. Girls tended to notice boy's earlier anyway.

"Okay, Gure. Do you remember anything else?" Tarble seemed more annoyed than anything right now. While he could see his brother being sympatric to her past, he was rather impressed with how he was acting. Tarble seemed more interested in what was going on than anything else.

The Tech-Tech shook her head. "No, because I was locked up for so long, I don't know much. Only what I gathered right before I left. My brother filled me in."

Tarble had a funny look on his face. "Did you and your brother have a good relationship?"

She gave him a sad look. "No. I was too much of a bother for them. He only came to use me as a shield."

Tarble backed away slightly. Vegeta then realized what his brother was thinking. He would nip this in the butt as soon as possible. "Don't even think it."

Tarble's eyes snapped over to him. "I wasn't thinking anything!"

He smirked slightly. "That would never happen. I wouldn't allow it."

While his brother had tried to put up a front, he could see the worry dissipate from his features. His brother had nothing to fear from him. He also began to wonder what kind of person would use their sibling as a shield. Sure, he would do whatever it took to make the galaxy his, but to sacrifice Tarble in such a way would be so Un-Saiyan like. Saiyans could get away with killing parents or grandparents, but children, siblings, and mates were strictly taboo. The royal family did often pit child against child, but it was never to the death. And if someone did in fact kill their sibling, they often lost favor with the people in general. Usually they became outcasts, even elites were treated like animals if they committed this crime. It was the same for someone who killed their children, usually because they saw their child as too weak, but not the same for mates. That was a fate worse than death.

He watched as Tarble began to clear his head again. "Vegeta, where are we going to hide her?"

"That I don't know. I don't even have a plan on how to approach father. If he is the one that wants me dead then it would be a bad idea for me to return home. Until we know what is going on, I must remain dead."

Tarble seemed to pale. "You're going to leave me alone with him!"

"It is only temporary. Until I can get as much information as possible. Gure and I can stay here or with Kakarot and Raditz's family."

Kakarot's face brightened, but Raditz's seemed to sour. "I don't like the idea of leaving Tarble alone."

"Then stay with him. If my father thinks he has won then he won't deny Tarble a companion." Vegeta said flatly.

"But brother what will you do?" Tarble said, sadness and confusion in his voice.

He let out a small chuckle. "Did your forget Tarble? The elites may take kindly to the news of my demise, but the rest of the people will want answers. Especially if I was home during my demise. I don't doubt that anger and rebellion will start to ignite."

Tarble gave him a strange look. Raditz on the other hand looked impressed. "And with that start of that fire, you will rise from the ashes."

"But brother what will you be doing till then? You can't just sit around?" Tarble was right.

Suddenly an idea same to him. It was their only option. "Kakarot and I will need a ship. Even without your tests, I believe that I can become the legend. We will begin our training."

Kakarot seemed rather happy with this. "Really Vegeta! We can train off planet!"

He chuckled. "Yes Kakarot." He turned his eyes to the others in their group. Bardock and Gine looked on in confusion. "I will need you both to play the grieving card. Believe that Kakarot is dead. I don't know how long this will take, but we need you to be strong." His eyes turned to Bardock only. "You have good favor with many of your kind. Help me light the match."

Bardock smirked. "I would be honored." He chuckled.

His eyes fell on Gure, who was still a mess. "I wish for you to stay with Gine. Hide yourself in their house. Tarble and Raditz will be by to keep you updated."

There was only one more. Onna was fidgeting on the floor, messing with her hair. "Tarble, put in a good word and get this girl a transplant. Her knowledge of the past may come in handy again." Her ears perked up. "Just remember to keep your mouth shut!"

She nodded in understanding. "I will Prince Vegeta I swear to it!"

"Very good." He pulled himself out of his bed, even though he was still weak from the drug. "Tarble can you get Kakarot and I a ship. We will need it."

"There is one down stairs in production. It's not yet finished. If you get stranded I won't be able to help you." Tarble said sounding worried.

He chuckled. "That is a risk I'm willing to take."

To Be Continued….

Author's Note

 ** _Sorry that this is late..or is it. We are going to a new updating schedule. Now I will be updating this story three times a week! I just finished my other big story and this will be my main focus until the end of the year. Also I am doing a couple of requests and oneshots during this time before returning to do the sequel of that fic._**

 ** _So we have Kakarot and Vegeta going off planet…I wonder where they will land. Also what about Tarble and Raditz back on Planet Vegeta? How will things go when they have to watch their every move?_**

 ** _I guess you'll have to read to find out!_**


	16. Chapter 16

He looked over to his brother as they got ready on the make shift dock. Tarble still looked wary of his plan, but he would see with time. This is what was needed. Their father wouldn't expect it.

His eyes wondered to Kakarot as the boy's mother hugged him and his father ruffled his hair. Raditz on the other hand was keeping his distance. He guessed that Raditz felt like he was in the way or something, but Kakarot wasn't going to allow that. Just as Raditz was about to walk off towards the med wing, Kakarot pounced, slamming his brother against the ground.

"Really Kakarot?" Raditz said sounding a little annoyed.

"But Raditz, it may be a long time till we see each other." The younger boy pouted as Raditz pushed him off.

Raditz glared. "You have a mission to work on. Put all of your focus on that. We will be fine."

His eyes darted to the parents. They didn't seem pleased with Raditz's tone. "Now son that isn't fair. Kakarot just wants to say good-bye that is all." Their mother said sadly.

"But we are wasting time." Raditz said and he had to agree. The longer they put this off, the easier they would be discovered.

"This isn't a waste of time. We didn't get this with you, so please be patient." He could tell that Bardock regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth.

He could see the other boy put up a wall, but he didn't say anything, instead he walked off. Not giving the rest of them any warning.

Bardock sighed. "Every time I think we have a break through, it comes back and blows up in my face." The man made to follow, but he held up his hand.

"Not now. As I said give him time." Bardock stopped as he asked, but that didn't stop the look of guilt on his face. He sighed. "One of these days, he will be free of those memories. Till then give him space and time."

Kakarot looked confused. "Vegeta, what exactly happened to my brother?"

"I can't tell you Kakarot. It is his business and while he needs to come to terms with it, I cannot betray his trust."

Kakarot looked slightly disappointed, but he asked no more questions.

He walked by Tarble. He could tell that his younger brother was nervous about this. "You will do fine. I have faith in you."

Tarble finally looked up at him with the first smile he had seen from the boy in a long time. "Good luck, brother."

He smirked. "I don't need luck. I'm me after all."

With that the two parted ways. He could sense Kakarot following him inside the ship. It was small, but they didn't need that much room. They would find a planet for their training anyway.

"Are you ready Kakarot?" He said as he started up the ship.

The boy cocked his head at him. "Ready?"

He smirked. "Are you ready to see a legend?"

The boy smiled and nodded as he hit a couple of buttons, launching them up and out towards the stars.

He looked over a map screen and chose a planet at random. "Kakarot, get to your sleeping pod. We have a long journey and hibernating will keep save us provisions and fuel."

The boy nodded and made his way back to this bed. He did the same, before pushing the button. He fell asleep in seconds. Believing that he would reach his goal.

* * *

Raditz had gone back to the med wing. Gure had fallen back asleep and gone back into her smaller form, which would make moving her a hell of a lot easier.

Out of the corner of his eye, Onna was looking through the large book he had brought out earlier. "Whatcha reading?" He said grabbing a glass of water.

She jumped, her hand clenching her heart. "Please don't do that." She whispered.

"Sorry. I thought you saw me. Do you need another stabilizer?" He had moved to get one as he accidently pored some water on his hand, soaking his glove.

"No, I'm fine." She said jumping to her feet and coming over to him. Her eyes were watching him as he removed the glove.

"What?" He said confused by her stares.

She looked down, an embarrassed look covered her face. "I…well you always…those gloves."

He looked down at the fingerless gloves. He had started wearing them after he returned. They hid the scars from others.

He didn't realize that she was so close and almost flinched when she grabbed his hand. He watched her face as she ran her fingers over the engraved name. He expected her to move away but she didn't.

"Who is she?" She said sadly.

"She's dead, gone from this world, like she should be." He said angrily.

Onna looked away from him. "Did you love her?"

His looked at her confused. "How could I ever love someone like that?"

Her eyes flashed back up at him, her sadness seemed to melt away. "Then why did you let her mark you?"

He sighed. "I had no choice in the matter. I was only 5 when she did it." He sat down on one of the beds and she followed, sitting right next to him.

She took his hand again. "So she's not your mate then?"

He looked at her in shock. "Who said anything about mating? That's disgusting." Just the idea of it made him want to vomit.

As he tried to hold in his lunch, he started touching his scar again. It was strange. He had only ever associated pain with it, but what she was doing was rather soothing. His nausea started to melt away as he could felt his heart in this throat.

He hadn't really looked at her over the years, but she was a rather beautiful female. He wondered why he never noticed this before. She stopped running her fingers over the scar long as her eyes caught him looking. He watched as her face turned red and at the same time he could feel his own face become warm. He didn't notice that she was inching herself forward, until she was parallel with his face. His gums began to ache, his mind began to wrestle with itself. Something primal wanted to be unleashed, but he didn't know why. Her smell was hitting his nose and it was driving him crazy.

Then she said one word, his name. And he caved. The primal part lurching forward and locked lips with her. He had no idea what he was doing or why he was doing it, but he really didn't care. She smelt way too good.

Apparently, she had no problem with this, much to the delight of his primal self, as she pulled on the front of his jacket, as if she wanted him closer. He pulled his mouth away from hers and began to sniff at her neck. He felt like he was going mad. This jaw was now throbbing, the urge to bite was growing.

He heard her make a small pleading sound, it was like she was feeling the same pain. Like she knew exactly what he wanted and wanted it herself. She just wanted the relief, just like he did. He let out a growl when his nose found the spot. He pinned her down and felt himself smirk against it. The animal had found what it wanted.

He heard some sounds behind him, but really didn't care. His mind was focused on one thing and one thing only.

He let out a loud roar when he was suddenly pulled away from her. Snarling at the person who had interrupted him.

The person who had removed him from his task was none other than his own father. What did he want? Did he come to take her away from him? He let out another growl in rage.

"Raditz, I know it feels good, but you are way too young for that." His father said frantically.

Too young for what? What did he do? Wasn't his father the one was in the wrong? He looked about the room. It was like he had a strange filter over his eyes. Everything around him was blurry, but darker at the same time.

"Breath in and out. Relax yourself." For some reason his father looked terrified of him. That couldn't be right.

He looked around the room. What was he doing again? He really couldn't remember. The world around him started to lighten. The filter disappearing as he felt his body calm. The primal monster started to fade as did the pain in his jaw.

His eyes found his father again and he blinked a couple of times before speaking. "What was that?"

His father smirked, he must have been glad that he returned back to normal. "That son is puberty and let me tell you, it is a bitch."

"What did I do? I don't really remember." He said frantically. He felt embarrassed, he knew he did something shameful, but had no idea what it was.

Bardock walked over and sat next to him. They seemed to be the only ones in the room now.

"Dad, where did Gure and Onna go?" He said confused.

Bardock let out a chuckle. "Your mother and Tarble had them removed. It was for the best."

He looked down at his hands, seeing that his glove was still gone. He froze as the memory came to him. He could already feel his face turning a dark shade of magenta. "Oh Kami, I have to apologize." He tried to leap to his feet, but was pulled back down.

"If you go to her now, you will just start that all over again." His father seemed to be getting a kick out of this.

"But I…"

"That was perfectly natural. Usually it doesn't start until your 14 but your almost there. That's why boys and girls are separated when they get in their teen years. You start to notice each other's scents." His father ran his fingers through his hair. "It starts to calm down a little when you become 16 or 17. It's just the rush of mating hormones going through your body."

He blushed again. "Why did this happen now?"

"I'm kind of surprised that it happened this early as well, what were you doing before you starting going at it?" Bardock teased.

He looked down at his hand. "She was touching my scar."

His father's playful smile fell. "Oh…"

"We were talking about it. And I just started to notice how she looked and then the smell hit me." He said it all to himself, more than his father. As if he was trying to confirm his actions to himself.

"You should have seen your mother, I bet she will be gushing about this for months."

He groaned. "What?"

His father chuckled. "She was all excited earlier when she was watching you two talk. Your mother is practically ready to make her family."

He groaned again, as he tried to hide his face in his hands. This was beyond embarrassing.

"Don't worry so much, we already like her." Bardock said resting his arm on his head.

"That's not the problem. I should have been able to stop myself, but my mind was so clouded and my jaw felt like it was going to fall off."

His father let out a chuckle again. "Trust me son, no male Saiyan during puberty can stop those hormones. You just become a sex crazed baboon."

"Sex…but I wasn't even thinking about sex!" He said frantically.

"No but your jaw hurt, so you were probably going to mark her and then do it. That's how it is usually done anyway. You can't have her until you claim her."

His face shot up to his father. "Why have you never explained this before?"

"I thought a smart Saiyan like yourself would already know this. I guess I was wrong." Bardock teased. "Anyway when you claim a female, her scent will go away and only react to you. Other males will know not to touch her. Females do not have the same problem and they won't mark you. Females will look to males for finding a mate, but the male makes the final call. Females will also know which males are already taken because you will take on your mates smell."

He sat there taking this all in. "So that primal side of myself was going to mark Onna. My brain selected her to be my mate?"

"Basically, but remember I stopped you in time. The two of you are way too young to be mates now. Trust me, after your hormones go down, you won't be as wild and you will actually be able to remember you're first mating. Those who mate too early tend to be more stand offish with their mates as they grow older."

An idea popped into his head. "Dad, is that why the elites have estranged mates? I know many of them are paired off early."

"Yes, most elites are paired off with someone that they don't even know. They are just stuck with that person for the rest of their lives, even if they don't like them." He looked back down at his hands. "You see now why I stopped you."

He nodded. "So does this mean that I have to stay away from the girls around here?"

His father chuckled again. "No, your mind has already decided on her, so you shouldn't really react to other females. So for the time being, you and Onna aren't going to be able to meet."

He felt kind of angry about this, not realizing that he let out a snarl.

His father laughed. "Remember son, it's for your own good."

* * *

Out in the hall, Tarble and Gure were barely holding back their laughter as Gine started to have the talk with a very embarrassed Onna.

To Be Continued…

 _ **Author's Note**_

 _ **Yeah, I had to be mean to Raditz this chapter, but we did get a nice little bonding moment with him and Bardock. Next chapter will have more reactions in it, and we may not get back to Vegeta and Kakarot for a couple of chapters, as traveling in space while hibernating is kind of boring. Unless you want to read about Vegeta and Kakarot's dreams, lol.**_


	17. Chapter 17

His parents kept them separated, until Onna's father finally made an appearance. The man took one look at his parents and gave them a look of distain.

"While I am grateful that you have discovered the defect in my daughter, I will ask that you have no other contact with her." The man was almost bald, but he flicked whatever hair he had left as he did this.

His father growled. "Without my son, your daughter would be dead. It would be wise for you to not forget that."

"Oh really, what are you going to do? A third class like yourself has no power to do anything against an elite like myself." The man said glaring at his father.

Bardock glared back. "What good is a title like that if you don't do anything with it?"

The man's nose twitched in anger. "Like a third class idiot such ass yourself would ever know what it truly means to be elite. Elites are born with the power. It is your job to serve us." The man chuckled.

He could feel himself growing angry at this man. This man was going to stand in his way. It didn't help that Onna was on the other side of the door, he could just barely smell her scent. His primal urges were speaking to him again, but in a more violent way.

He was imagining what it would feel like to have her father in the place of Nappa. That fate was much to his primal sides liking. So much so that he was thinking up new was to torture this buffoon.

Tarble gave him a slight tap on the back, freeing him from his primitive thoughts. He didn't realize that the entire room was looking at him. He then realized that his throat hurt. He had been growling.

The elite man gave him a disgusted look. "If your son thinks he has any chance with my daughter, he must he insane. Only an elite can mate with an elite. I already have a mate selected for her." The man made his way back to the door, confident that he had put the idea to rest.

His mind seemed to snap and cringe at that. The idea of someone else taking that scent for themselves was jarring. Like anyone else would understand her mind. He smirked. "We'll see about that." He smarted off.

The man stopped as he reached the door. "No we won't." And with that he was gone and he could feel the scent from the hall being pulled farther and farther away. It was nerve-racking. He could also feel a sense of dread coming over him the farther she went. They weren't even mates yet and his instincts were already adjusted to her as if she was.

He could feel his parents' eyes on him, as he punched the wall. Strangely it dinted. He stared at it for a couple of seconds, as he wondered how he did that. It cleared his mind. It wasn't that he was becoming stronger. It was that he was getting older. His body was starting to fill out more. Even without power, Saiyan's always acquired muscle mass, whether it was useful or not.

He looked up at his father and realized that he wasn't that much shorter than him. His father was no longer the towering figure that he remembered. Instead, it looked like he would be the one towering over him.

Bardock was smirking down at him. "So you're going to fight tradition then?"

He looked back to the door. "I have too. There is no way I will let someone else have her." The primal beast was talking now, making his mind a pile of rage.

Gine giggled. "You know son, that if you force the issue she may not like that. Remember simple is best when going after a female."

Her giggling broke through his anger. Now he was staring at his mother confused. His father let out a laugh. "Trust me son, it never gets easier. Females just complicate everything."

With that Bardock winced as Gine punched him in the arm. "Just do your best son." Her eyes went to the small Tech-Tech, "Now let's get you to our place. "

Gure, who was still in a daze from her injuries, listened and tried to stand. She gave up and Bardock came over and set her in a bag. In her smaller state she would fit easily.

His father gave him a quick nod. "Be careful. If anything happens let us know."

He nodded back, looking to his best friend. The younger Prince still was still lacking confidence. This was all on Tarble. If he could handle this or not.

* * *

Night was starting to fall as Tarble with Raditz made it to the palace. He looked over at Raditz every once and a while, hoping that he would be strong enough to do this.

"What if my father doesn't believe us?" He asked.

Raditz gave him a grim look. "Your father will believe anything right now, as long as it is what he wants to hear. He wants Vegeta to be dead. All he needs is confirmation from you and that will be enough."

"But how can I hold back when he starts to celebrate?" He said, letting dread fill him.

"You will do fine. You've dealt with worse. Trust me, Vegeta wouldn't have left this to you unless he thought that you couldn't do this. He know you can." Raditz said with a smile.

He took a deep breath as Raditz urged him in. He didn't want to. Vegeta had always been there. Even if he had taken out Nappa, he knew that his brother was there, waiting for him, but now he didn't even know if he would even be able to return.

His father was sitting at the large table waiting for him. He looked sadly at the man.

His father gave him a feigning look of sadness. "So you know about Vegeta?"

He looked down. Trying to make himself believe that Vegeta was dead. "Now what will I do?"

Raditz put his hand on his shoulder, putting on a look of grief as well. He could tell his friend was using his past to come up with his sorrow. He realized he could use that too. That hopelessness would be helpful here.

"It is a sad day for our people." His father stood from his chair and came over to him. "But that doesn't mean that we have to dwell on it. Your brother is gone, but I am not without an heir. Now is your time Tarble. Under my guidance you will take the thrown." His father was trying to appeal to him like this. What a low blow. He didn't even want the crown. Who would want that tainted thing?

He kept his face in a state of anguish. "But father I…"

"Come on Tarble, you're a crown prince now, you must learn to speak above a crowd with confidence, even if those around you don't agree with you. Remember your word will be law." His father glared at Raditz. "You have no time to be spending with filth."

"Father, don't bring Raditz into this." He wouldn't have his friend disrespected in front of him.

His father's face darkened. He must have just realized that he followed the same philosophy as Vegeta.

"Now Tarble, as a Prince you must choose. To side with the people or to do what is in their best interest."

He glared. "And what if siding with the people is in their best interest? Then what?"

His father's face was red. "Trust me, they never know what they want."

"All they want is respect. Something you know nothing about." He growled.

"Tarble, I will not hear this! You will take your role as the crowned Prince and you will follow my direction! That means no more of this stupid techno babble!" So this is what this was all about?

He sneered. "So now that brother is dead, you want to lock me back up? You want me to go back to being the tame, easy to manipulate Tarble? No chance in hell will I ever stop my work. I will not let brother's vision die!" Vegeta trusted him. He would not turn his back on that trust, not even for a minute. "Come on Raditz, I would prefer to be in better company."

He led his friend to the door, as his father let out a howl of anger, but he did nothing. He knew that he was powerless to do anything to him. The guards would see. He wouldn't be an easy target. He was smarter than that and the older Saiyan knew that.

Raditz followed him back to the shared room that he and his brother once shared. He motioned to Vegeta's bed, telling his friend that it was okay to sleep there.

Radtiz nodded as they both looked out the window. Small blasts began to dot the sky. The people would believe that his brother was dead and if he never returned they would never be the wiser.

"All we can do is wait. Hopefully they won't be too long." Raditz said.

Tarble growled as he looked up at the sky. "No, we can do more than wait. We can fight." He could feel his friend's eyes on him. "As long as it takes, I will fight back. I won't let my father erase my brother's work."

"You know he will go after the lab. He never liked it in the first palace." Raditz grumbled.

"That's because he likes his shitty deals. You know he got all kinds of perks when he was with Frieza." He almost spat as he spoke. "The lab gets in the way of those deals. We don't need others technology if we already have it. Brother knew that. My father may call me the crowned Prince, but it is not a title I want, nor do I need. That is Vegeta's role."

"Hopefully this Super Saiyan form doesn't take that long for them to get."

He looked up at the sky again. "I just hope he returns, I don't care about the form, as long as he comes back."

"They'll come back, nothing would keep Vegeta away from his goal. He wants to rule the galaxy. He can't do that without leading us to victory, can he?" Raditz smirked.

He smirked back. Yes, his brother would return. No matter what, Vegeta would come back. It was like any mission. Nothing could stop him and for that he was grateful. His brother would be back and he would watch as he toppled over the entire galaxy. He could only imagine it, but he knew they would get there. They had too.

To Be Continued…

 _Author's Note_

 _Just a little look at elites in general. Onna's dad really doesn't like the idea of mixing classes. King Vegeta is a dick and Tarble is definitely growing, looks like he can't be controlled either. I don't think that King Vegeta likes that. Next Chapter is going to be very grim. Then we are getting five chapters away from Planet Vegeta, but I think that is fair. Tarble and Raditz have practically stole the show in this fic, lol. Anyway, until next chapter._


	18. Chapter 18

Tarble awoke to silence. Raditz was already awake, but he remained quiet. It was too quiet. He shoved his self out of bed and looked around. He stared at the solemn look on Raditz's face, but the boy wasn't looking at him. He was staring at the door. He turned his eyes to it and looked at the set of black Saiyan armor. He knew what it was for. His father wasn't going to delay it.

Today would be his brother's funeral. He took a deep breath. He would have to fake his mourning all day. He sighed, as Raditz cocked an eyebrow at him.

"How the hell am I going to do this?" He said getting out of bed and running his hands across the black chest plate.

Raditz came beside him. "Think back Tarble. Think back to Zera's home. The fear you had when you thought she was going to kill Vegeta and yourself. Try and think of a world where only you and I made it out of that hell hole. Use your anger and fears to your advantage." Raditz said, looking over the armor.

"I just don't know if I could wear this. It looks too final. Like it would be giving the message that not only is Vegeta dead, but that his ideals are also dead." It just looked too elite for his taste. Like his father wanted to get him excited for this opportunity. His father wanted him to cheer his brother's death. He could feel the older part of himself coming forward. The fear of control was like an ever present fog.

"It doesn't have to be like that, you know the truth. Vegeta is alive. We just have to play this part for a while."

"Yeah, a while. Too bad we don't know how long a while will take. Is it a couple of days or a couple of years. How long do I have to live like this?"

Raditz gave him a sad look. "I don't know. All we can do is follow Vegeta's orders."

"But what if he comes back too late? What if I fail? Sure, I would never go along with my father's wishes, but I'm not as strong as my brother. I can't stir up the masses like he can." He said, tears were threatening to fall.

"No one is asking you to be Vegeta. You're Tarble, not Vegeta. You must do things your own way. Even when it feels like the darkness is consuming you, you have to remember yourself." Raditz said annoyed with how he was thinking.

"I guess I should go and change." Hoping to change the subject. He didn't want to focus on his own darkness right now. Everything was riding on him and he didn't want to mess up, he couldn't mess up.

* * *

Raditz stared at his friend. He still didn't know how to wrap his head around this.

He sighed as Tarble walked out in that armor. It was strange to look at. Neither he, nor Tarble had worn armor in ages and it just didn't look right.

"Why is this shit so form fitting?" Tarble grumbled.

He was rather glad he didn't have to wear it. He could easily stick to his normal attire. "You know you don't have to wear that, even if he wants you to. Our lab clothes should work, it will also send a message to the third class."

Tarble nodded. "Yeah, I'm switching back. Really I don't know why they wear those things. Who seriously thinks that all of that is comfortable?"

He chuckled to himself. Tarble probably didn't care for how small it made him look, the armor just seemed to emphasis how short he was. Not that Vegeta was tall, but Vegeta knew how to carry himself. Tarble had no clue. "I think that's for the best."

Tarble scrounged around this closet and he could hear the armor falling to the ground as he went for one of his trusty lab coats. When the other boy emerged, he was surprised to see him still wearing the jumpsuit from the set of armor, no that wasn't it. The jumpsuit from the armor was black, this one was blue. Meaning that it had once belonged to Vegeta. Over the jumpsuit was one of his better lab coats, a scouter was placed over his right eye.

"Come now Raditz. We have a place to be." With that the young prince made it out the door. He walked behind with a smirk of amusement.

He hid it after he made it into the hallway. Walking beside his friend in silence. This must have been freeing for him. To look like Vegeta, but be himself. This way he could visually show everyone how he felt about his brother's "Death".

They walked into the parlor, many elites had already piled in. He caught King Vegeta's face. At first he seemed happy to see Tarble, but his face fell when he saw what he was wearing. The stares were many. Like all eyes glued were glued to Tarble.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the Tech-Tech ambassador, the one that betrayed Gure. He wasn't paying any attention, he was too busy stuffing his face.

The King made to stand in Tarble's way, trying to lead him to the fake casket, but the boy was on a mission. His small size helped him get through the crowd. He could fit in places no one else could. He stood and watched. He as far too tall to follow. A small smirk came to his face, there was no reason to worry. Tarble may have been questioning himself, but he had no reason to. He may not have even realized it. He was carrying himself like his brother. There was a confidence he had, even if he didn't know it himself. He was a Prince, it was time he owned that part of himself.

* * *

Tarble broke past his father. He wanted to see the balcony. Something told him that he needed to see the people. He didn't know why, but he would do just that. It sounded like something his brother would do.

The doors to the grand balcony opened and he slipped out, looking up at the sun as it started its climb up the sky. He took a deep breath as he made it to the edge. His heart was going crazy, like it would beat out of his chest, but he pushed himself forward.

The edge wasn't far now, but strangely he felt calmer as he made his way to the edge.

He looked down, and looked upon that thousands that had gathered. The different classes and clans all huddled together. There was a look of hopelessness that seemed to be catching like a disease, from the old to the young. They were uncertain for their future. The promises his brother made, were now seen as a memory. Something they would never see. It filled him with a new sense of rage. He could feel a headache coming on. Like the rage itself was manifesting in his forehead.

Some of their eyes found him. He could feel them look him over as their future ruler. They were unsure.

The door behind him slammed open, his father came forward, enraged. "Tarble you will come back and change this instant. A prince does not dress like this!"

"Says you. I will dress this way and I refuse to act as shamefully as you." He cried out, getting the attention of everyone below.

His father noticed. "We will talk elsewhere. Get your ass back inside!"

He felt himself growl. "No, I refuse. I'm not going to have you lock me away again!"

"Tarble, you are a Prince and you will be taught how to look after his planet! Now get back inside!"

Tarble let out a chuckle. "Learn to rule, from you? Don't make me laugh."

His father made to run forward, but froze. Instead screaming in pain.

He was frozen in shock, what was going on? He watched as his father tried to crawl towards him, on his hands and knees. Pain was etched into his face, but where was it coming from?

"Tarble?" Raditz had come out to the balcony, and was staring at him shocked.

"What?" He said confused.

"Your eyes." He turned around and found a nearby window. He could see a slight red glow to his eyes. The headache, suddenly dissipated. The glow disappearing with it.

His father, stood behind him. In the window's reflection he could see something he never thought he would ever see from his father…fear. He looked down at his hands. What had he done? It was there for a short time, and now it was gone. He couldn't find it, nor did he understand it. For that fraction of time, he had the power.

Looking over the edge at his people, he could see a change amongst them. Hope had returned. As he turned back to the window, he could see a wild smirk from his father. The man was getting the wrong ideas. He couldn't stay here. He couldn't let this man think for a second that he had that power at his command. He refused to be a puppet.

He ran over to the edge, looking down. It was as if they knew what he wanted. They prepared themselves. "Raditz!" He called and his friend dashed over. They both made to jump, he felt himself land in the arms of the people under him.

Looking back up, he could see the wild fury on his father's face along with the fury of the elites that had joined him. He was about to start cursing himself and his situation, when the crowd around him burst into a mixture of growls and roars.

As he watched the enraged splendor around him, he realized what he had caused. The lower class had had enough. He could feel it in wrath they were giving off. He felt himself pushed up, so he could speak.

He had a choice now, he could stop this. He could try and get them to calm down, or he could push forward. Allow this war to happen. Call them to fight. Tell them the truth. They needed to know. He could feel his own ire coming to the surface again.

His father's traitorous actions couldn't remain hidden. War would happen either way, why delay the inevitable? He cleared his throat. "You have been deceived." He said over the crowd. He pointed at his father. "My brother did not die in battle. An assassin tried to poison him. An assassin hired by my father." He didn't hold back, he couldn't hold back.

The roars around him grew louder. The venom of betrayal spread like wild fire.

Energy blasts hit the palace, as both elites and the lower classes fired out at each other. He could smell the singed flesh and cries out of anger and death. What was supposed to be a day of mourning, became a day of rebirth. The lower classes had been stepped on for far too long, just as he had been.

The elites had started back into the palace. Some of those from the second class had chosen his father's side and were running into the palace, trying to block it from being entered. Fire was being set and chaos was all around him.

Raditz came up beside him. "Impressive. And you thought you could never rule. That no one would follow you. I say you have proven yourself wrong, Prince Tarble."

He felt stunned by the title. His friend and even common Saiyans never referred to him as such. He looked over the carnage, realizing that he had not listened to Vegeta. "I'm sorry brother, but we cannot wait. The war begins now."

To Be Continued…

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _Looks like Tarble is starting to come into his own really, but I wonder what is going to happen to them. I mean the next five chapters are all Vegeta and Kakarot, so no Planet Vegeta. Also we get a little glimpse of the red eyes, I wonder how they drove King Vegeta to his knees? I guess you'll have to read to find out._**


	19. Chapter 19

The two Saiyan's slept as they passed through parts unknown. Unaware of what was happening on board. Red warning lights and an alarm were blaring. A couple of seconds later, the Saiyan Prince woke with a start, the chemicals used for his hibernation slowly fading out. He jumped out of bed quickly and made is way to the control room, he had no idea what awaited him.

His companion was still asleep, so he quickly turned all of the feed for the hibernation serum, but it would still take a while before the boy would wake up. He cursed to himself, they shouldn't have gone this far out. How long had it been? His eye scanned one of the screens, it had been a couple of weeks. Even as the ship blared, he wondered how Planet Vegeta was doing. How Tarble was doing.

He quickly pushed his thoughts away as he heard a loud crash from down the hall. The ship was falling apart. Tarble did say that it was unfinished.

His eyes flashed down to the strange planet below him. "Do a quick scan." He had no know if it was okay for lifeforms. It would dictate what equipment both he and Kakarot would need. As the message came up, he sighed in relief. The planet was suitable for Saiyans.

He pushed a jumble of buttons, indicating the landing sequence, just as Kakarot burst in. "What's going on?"

"We need to land. That or get in the pods. From the look of it, the pods will be the better choice."

Kakarot nodded. "What if we get separated?"

"There are a couple of scouters in the pods, just look for my power level if you can't find me."

And with that both of them ran to their separate pods, blasting away just as the ship exploded.

The explosion rocked both pods, sending them in different directions. Down to the planet below.

* * *

He left the pod looking around at the world around him, it was nothing like anything Kakarot had ever seen. Planet Vegeta was a very dry planet and while they did have forests, it had never been so…green. The plants back home were all grey, here everything was so vibrant. His eyes also caught a towering mountain, but it wasn't made of reds like back home. The greens when up the sides, followed by some dark gray and then white on top. They looked so small, but it was probably because they were so far away.

He looked around for his Prince, but found that he was all alone. He pulled out the scouter, but it shorted in his hands. He was truly alone. He had to find his Prince. They had no idea what or who was on this planet.

He knew it was best if he started moving, Vegeta would be doing the same. He need to figure out the basic things first. Finding food and shelter was a must.

As he started through the trees, he noticed a rather large lake. He could see some bizarre animals at the bottom. Good thing he knew how to swim. He dived into the clear water, using his tail as bait. The scaly animals fell for it and he exited the lake with a rather large on. Now he just had to cook it.

He smirked down at his prize before hearing a small rustling in the shrubs behind him. He prepared himself. He didn't know what was out there.

Suddenly with a flash and a cry, he felt a kick to his back. He cringed slightly and turned to face his opponent. He moved fast, grabbing his enemy's foot as he tried to kick him again, this time in the face.

He was about to glare at his attacker, when he noticed something strange about him….it wasn't a him…it was a her. She looked like she was Saiyan with her black eyes and black hair, but there was no tail. She wore a strange orange and blue outfit that looked nothing like what a Saiyan would wear. Her black eye flashed dangerously at him.

"You won't get away with this!" She yelled out, angry.

He was stumped. "What? What did I do?"

She let out a dark chuckle. "Like you don't know!" With that she pulled and got her foot free from his grasp. She got into a defensive position, ready for any attack that he would send out.

For some reason this made him smile, not smirk, just smile. He readied himself for an attack. She thought she could make a fool out of him, the future Captain of the Royal Guard, she must be dreaming.

Before he could attack, the bushes began to shake again, but he didn't turn to see. He would keep his eyes on the girl. It seemed her glare had grown.

"Chi-Chi, what are you doing out here?" Her eyes lighted up a bit and she turned away from him.

He turned his eyes to the new person, well more like people. Two old men. "Grandpa! Master Roshi! You're okay!" She seemed rather thrilled to see them.

He cocked his head in confusion, didn't she want to fight him seconds ago. Now it looked like she forgot he was even here.

"What have I told you about running off? You're strong, but the enemy is stronger. Your training is not complete." One of the old men said, he seemed older than the other and was holding some kind of walking stick.

This just brought up more questions. What enemy? If there was someone lurking about, it was his job as the Prince's bodyguard to take care of it, but they were separated.

"I was going to stay home, but I felt a huge change in ki and I came out here." She pointed at him. "They sent him to destroy us."

He just cocked his head to the side. "What?"

"Don't play dumb! I know you're with Red Ribbon!" She yelled at him, as both of the older men looked him over.

"What's a red ribbon?" With that they all fell over.

The bald man with the cane stood up first, strangely enough. "Young man, how can you not know who Red Ribbon are? They control everything."

"No they don't. I've been to many different planets but I've never heard of this Red Ribbon." To say that their faces were shocked would be an understatement.

"Planets?" The other man questioned.

"Yeah, by the way what is the name of this planet? It didn't show up in our database?"

The girl looked angry. "Stop lying! You're just trying to trick us! Ahhhh!" She screamed and backed away.

He wondered what had caused her to scream and turned around, but he saw nothing. "What?"

She just looked like she was beyond words. "You….you have…a..a tail?!"

He laughed. "All Saiyan's have tails."

"Saiyan?" She said confused.

"Yes, I'm a Saiyan." He was getting rather annoyed with this girl.

"If you're an alien, than why are you out here?" She asked.

He almost growled. "That is my business."

She glared at him again. "That's what a Red Ribbon spy would say!"

Now he snarled. "Just because I have my own business doesn't mean I'm with those Ribbon guys! I just came here to train with my Prince and that is it!"

The bald older man smiled. "You said train, you came to this planet to train."

He sighed. "Yes, Prince Vegeta and I came here to train up to the Super Saiyan form. Our home planet will be at war soon and Vegeta believed that the form could turn the tide and stop a war from happening."

The girl's anger seemed to melt away. She gave him a look of pity. "I'm sorry."

He glared at her. "I don't need your pity. A Saiyan never accepts pity from anyone."

She didn't glare back, instead she was staring at him intently. "Then you're not from Red Ribbon."

"Finally, you get it." He said, crossing his arms.

She turned away blushing from embarrassment. He smirked to himself, he would no longer be accused of this ribbon nonsense.

"You said you came here with another? A Prince. Where is he?" The gentler of the older men asked.

His smirk faded. "Vegeta and I were separated. Our ship was destroyed and now we have no way to contact each other. He could be anywhere."

"So we should start looking for this Prince then. If he's anything like the royal families of this planet then he must need help." The man with the cane said, looking to the other old man.

"No, Prince Vegeta is anything but weak. He's the strongest person in the galaxy!"

The girl turned up her nose. "No way is that possible. No person could be that strong."

"Vegeta can blow up a planet if he wanted too. That's just how strong he is!" He almost laughed at her horrified expression.

"Why would anybody need to be that strong?!" She asked angry and confused.

"The galaxy is full of people who want power. Only the strong prevail and we Saiyans are strong."

She looked at him confused. "So you guys just fight all day?"

He glared at her. "We are a warrior race. We train for the most part because we must be prepared for anything. We don't go looking for a fight, it usually comes to us."

"As long as you're not here to destroy our planet, I don't see a problem. Maybe you can give us a hand. Help us get rid of Red Ribbon. Then you can train all you want." The older man with the cane said.

He could see the benefits of helping them. They knew this planet better than he did. He could find the Prince faster with their assistance. "If I can find my Prince, I will put in a good word for this planet. He won't destroy this planet without reason, speaking of which. What is this planet called?"

"This, my boy, is Earth." The kinder older man said, giving him a smile. "And my name is Gohan."

He nodded and the looked to the other man. "I am Master Roshi."

"Master?" He had heard the term earlier, but did ask.

"He trains people to fight." The girl said annoyed.

He smiled, which seemed to surprise her. "Like a commander or instructor."

"Do you use military terms for everything?" She said glaring at him.

"Chi-chi don't be rude." Gohan chided.

He cocked his head to the side. "That's a strange name."

She turned red and ran up to smack him, but he caught her hand. She looked him in the eye and continued to glare at him. "My name isn't strange!"

"Speaking of names, what is your name?" Gohan asked, ignoring Chi-chi's anger.

"Oh, it's Kakarot." He said proudly.

The girl laughed. "Your name is Carrot."

"No, Kakarot!" He said angrily

She continued to laugh. "And you said my name was strange."

"Because it is."

"Not as strange as Kakarot." She argued.

"I will say, child. That name is a mouth full. Why don't we call you something else?" Gohan asked.

"I was named after my great grandfather. I wear this name with respect, I.."

"Goku….I rather like that name. I think that will work." Gohan said, getting a nod from Roshi and the girl.

"But my name is…" He started to protest, but was cut off.

"You know Goku does sound better, more normal." She giggled at the pout on his face and he knew it.

"Come on Goku, let's try and find your friend. Just remember that his planet is crawling with Red Ribbon soldiers. Keep your wits about you."

He glared. "I was born for battle. If we come across this army, I should be able to take care of it." He said following after the strange group he was now with.

He could only hope that Vegeta had found better company.

To Be Continued….

 _Author's Note_

 _So we finally got a chapter from Kakarot's point of view. Chi-chi and Kakarot really don't like each other that much, for now. If you're wondering where the Ox King is, that will be revealed later. Also I thought it would be funny if all of the earthlings referred to Kakarot as Goku._

 _So where do you think Vegeta ended up? Or really who did Vegeta end up with?_

 _How bad is the Earth under Red Ribbon? Well that will be explained…next chapter._


	20. Chapter 20

Vegeta looked around as he exited his pod, Kakarot was nowhere in sight and the scouter in his pod was broken. He guessed that Kakarot was in the same position as himself. He cursed, it would take forever to find his cohort.

The area around him was like nothing he had ever seen. He had been in cities before, but the place was vacant. Usually there would be a crowd of people who would show up and see what had landed, but there was no one. Mammoth buildings looked as if they would collapse at any second.

He decided that he need to move on, this place was making him uncomfortable. It wouldn't have bothered him if he was the one causing the destruction, but it was unnerving seeing the work of someone else.

He came across a turn in the road, if you could call it a road, there was too much debris to tell. He wondered who the last person to travel it was and who caused this.

He spun fast on his heel as a tower of debris fall. Quickly he prepared himself for attack. To his surprise two people appeared before him. The first had long black hair, with a strange scar on his face. He tried to look tough but he could smell the fear on him. His companion on the other hand looked completely different. She didn't look very happy, her blue eyes looked like icy daggers, ready to pierce through the boy's hide. Her hair was shoulder length, but instead of the normal black, it was an exotic shade that matched her eyes.

"Yamcha! What were you thinking? We were supposed to stay quiet! Now we will be discovered for sure!" She yelled at the boy. She seemed to be fierce without being strong, if the boy's cowering was any indication.

"And you yelling is helping how?" The boy asked, only to get smacked across the face.

"I only started yelling because you knocked over this shit!" She countered back.

He tried and failed to hide a chuckle at their actions, this female was intriguing. Her power level must have amounted to nothing, but the boy, while a coward, had more muscle mass than her. She could easily hold her own. Bizarre, but not unheard of. She must have other secrets looming about. Secrets he wanted answers to.

But before he could approach them a pile of debris seemed to explode. He moved out of the way, dodging flying scraps of wood and metal. As he got out of sight, he heard her scream.

Before he could even think, he was in front of her, grabbing her against him, and shooting a blast out of his hand, causing the scraps to melt into nothingness.

The girl in his arms looked up at him slowly, analyzing his face, much like he was earlier. Without thinking, he took in her face. From a distance, he had only gathered a couple of things, but now that he was closer he could see the emotions her eyes held. Her skin was paler than most, but now her cheeks held a twinge of red. He couldn't help but focus on it. She must have been embarrassed, having been saved by him when she was calling out orders.

He gave her a small smirk then backed away, pulling himself away from her body. Surprisingly, he felt a slight chill.

Her eyes left him, panic showing in them. They darted around looking for something. It wasn't until she yelled out that he knew what she was looking for.

"Yamcha!" The boy she was with. He cringed to himself, then chided himself. There was no reason for him to have any ill will towards him, but he could not shake off his annoyance at her persistent searching for him.

Seconds of her searching became minutes and every passing second he found himself growing more irritated. He was about to walk off when he looked down. Under a pile of rubbish, the young boy was laying. He remained motionless. Part of him felt a rush of glee at this, for what reason he had no idea.

He pushed his feelings aside. He needed to show her. As he came up beside her again, she gave him an uneasy look. She was remaining wary of him, even after he had saved her life. He would be offended, but she did have reason to worry, he was a Saiyan after all.

"That boy, Yamcha as you call him is dead." He said flatly. Death was a norm for his kind, but apparently it wasn't for hers as she burst into tears, falling to her knees in the process.

"That…that can't be….We were supposed to…He was going to marry me…" She said, as tears and he could hear her nose stopping up.

His eyebrow raised. "Marry?" What a strange term.

She gave him an angry glare. "You know…Husband and Wife…Soulmates...Your life partner…"

"You mean that boy was going to be your mate?" He said it far angrier than he thought he would.

Her glare grew at his term. "Mate?! That's what animals do!"

Now he was glaring at her. "No that is what Saiyans do!"

"Saiyans?" She looked very confused, just how far was he from home.

He chuckled to himself. "The greatest warriors in the universe. My people." At least one of the planets out here would know of his kind at last.

He watched as it dawned on her that he wasn't of this world. "So you're an alien?"

"No, I'm a Saiyan, this alien you speak of is of no concern." He said a little irritated.

Out of nowhere she laughed. It was a rather nice sound, it pleased him more than he would ever admit. "You're weird."

He rolled his eyes. "So what do you want me to do with your mate?" He said pointing back to where the boy laid.

Her eyes filled with sadness again and he cursed himself. "We never married so he never became my mate as you put it." She looked back up at him. "Can you help me bury him?"

He raised an eyebrow, what a weird way of disposing with the dead. "You want to put him in the ground?"

She seemed to notice his confusion. "We, humans usually bury our dead. It symbolizes the person being at rest."

He nodded. "We Saiyans, burn our dead."

"Why?"

He looked up at the sky, watching as the white clouds moved over the atmosphere. "We are warriors, it is believed that if one's body is burned that they can become one with the stars and fight for all eternity amongst the chaos of space. Any other form of service is see as an insult."

He could feel her eyes on him. "But what about in time of war? Wouldn't the enemy see the smoke?"

"Yes, but what a great honor it is. The enemy that had ended your comrade's life is now coming to you. If fate shines on you, you may be able to end your enemy right then and there. That person didn't die in vain, without their sacrifice the battle would have been lost." He finally took his eye off of the sky and looked back at the girl.

She looked like she was fascinated rather than sickened. "So even in death they can help you."

He nodded. "This burial thing you were speaking of, do you still want to do that?"

She looked sad again. "I'm sorry but we need to bury him. Red Ribbon is far too powerful. I won't be able to fight them off if they come and…"

"Who said anything about you fighting them off? I can do that." He cursed himself as soon as the words left his mouth. He needed to find Kakarot and a decent mechanic. His own world was in peril, he had no time to worry about this one.

But even as he thought this, he could see her eyes brighten and it pushed those thoughts aside. "You can fight Red Ribbon?"

"I don't know what this Red Ribbon is, but if you can find me a mechanic then I can get rid of them for you." As much of a distraction she was becoming, he had to get off of this planet somehow.

"If you need a mechanic, look no farther. I'm a genius." She bragged.

He smirked, so she would be of some use to him. He dug into his pocket. "Can you fix this then? I have to find my subordinate. Kakarot is somewhere on the surface, but this shorted out before I landed."

"Subordinate? Kakarot?" She questioned.

"Yes, subordinate. Kakarot is younger than me, but he is growing in strength."

"Sounds like he's your friend." She smiled.

His eye scrunched together. "I have no time for such a concept." Friendship was a weakness. Tarble and Raditz may have admitted to such a relationship, but he was a true warrior. Attachments were frowned upon and the last thing he needed was to grow attached to his body guard. Tarble was different, he was family. Kakarot was useful do to how in strength increased.

"Everyone needs a friend, even when we don't want one." She said, trying to get him to admit that the third class was his friend.

"Friendship is for the weak. I have no time weakness." He was saying it more to himself than to her, but she still frowned.

She took the scouter from him and looked it over. "I need to get back home. My father has hidden his lab underground for the time being. We can go there."

He nodded scooping up the boy called Yamcha and followed her, but he kept his distance. He couldn't let himself get wrapped up in her problems. He had to get back to Tarble and Planet Vegeta. Once this Red Ribbon was taken care of, he would have to start training as well. He would need to ascend, everything hinged on it.

"My name is Bulma, what is yours?" She said giving him a smile.

"Vegeta. Prince Vegeta." He almost forgot to say his title. What good would it do for him not to spread his name here?

She stopped and stared back at him. "You're a Prince?!"

He smirked at her expression. She looked like she couldn't believe it. "Yes, I am the Prince of all Saiyans and someday the galaxy."

"But I thought all Princes were charming, not power hungry." She said confused.

He let out a huff. "What good is being charming? Ruling over the galaxy is my destiny and I will not let anyone stand in my way."

"Then how are you going to do that? You can't just take over everything with brute strength." She countered.

He smirked. "I know that, I am also rather skilled at dealing with trade agreements and such. Planet Vegeta is a self-sufficient planet so we don't need to rely on others as much as they need to rely on us."

"How can a race of fighters be self-sufficient? Surely you need people that can create or farm." She did say she was smart, if she could fix his scouter and provide him a ship, he would see that when her planet came under his rule that she would have a proper job. He thought that giving her a job would calm his mind, but it didn't.

"We have smart Saiyans, my younger brother is one of them. Also those too old to fight work in our fields. We were once at the mercy of others, I saw a way to eradicate that problem." He watched her reaction and she seemed to be showing many different emotions at once.

"Then why are you all the way out here?" She asked, wary. "Did you come to take over Earth? If you did, I won't help you!"

He sighed. "Calm yourself, I only wished to find a place far enough to train." There was no reason to tell her everything. This would be enough.

She eyed him suspiciously. "But why do you need to train out here? Couldn't you do that somewhere closer to home?"

"My reasons are my own." He said as they reached their destination. He threw down the boy's body and crossed his arms. "So when will you start on the scouter? After that I will need a ship as mine was destroyed. And then…"

"Excuse me, I know you're a Prince but you could say please! You're talking about huge projects and in case you didn't notice, we are at war here. All metal is rationed out for weaponry. I can't just make you a space ship when we need to defend ourselves!" She said in irritation.

He growled. "Look girl, I don't have time for your problems. I said I would get rid of this Red Ribbon. So you need to work on my ship!"

"My name is Bulma, not girl! And until you fulfil your promise, I'm not going to start on anything!" She screeched back at him.

"I'll call you whatever I want to call you, girl. And I don't think you have any ground to stand on. You will make me the items I request of you!" He was barely holding back a roar, his tail was flicking back and forth.

But this girl didn't even flinch at his words, instead she let out a giggle and smirked at him. "You may not like it Prince, but without me you can't get off this rock. You need me and if you blast me you're stuck. You need me more than I need you." She said, turning her back and pressing in a code of some sort.

He couldn't help the small smile that came to his face. This was something entirely new. Females usually bowed to his every whim, but this one offered a challenge.

She disappeared down a small shafted and called out. "Are you coming, Your Highness?" Her voice was full of sarcasm and she was definitely mocking him, but he couldn't help but be impressed.

As he made his way over to the shaft a smirk crept onto his face, he would get her to bow to him.

To Be Continued…

 _Authors Note._

 _Yes, I know this took forever to get done. I had a crazy holiday and didn't have much time for writing. Now we're back on the normal schedule._

 _So we have Yamcha already dead out of the gate. I'm not a huge fan of love triangles and with how many are thrown at us in literature I decide to get him out of the story ASAP. Also I'm not trying to bash Yamcha, he's just not my favorite character and with how many characters there are going to be in this story, I thought that we needed to cut some out and focus on the main story. Remember we have two wars going on here and having a useless love triangle where everyone would know the outcome would be pointless._

 _Bulma is the same age as Vegeta in this at 12. If you can't tell, my number one ship is Bulma/Vegeta._

 _Anyway, next couple of chapters we will be going back and forth between Goku..opps..I mean Kakarot and Vegeta's groups._


	21. Chapter 21

The ground was slowly starting to become colder, night was approaching. He hoped Vegeta had found some shelter.

"Are we stopping for the night?" He asked, wary of their response. He was clearly annoyed with the three humans, especially the girl.

"Is the warrior boy scared of the dark?" The girl teased, but he ignored her.

"We can't stop now, boy. We have a good couple of hours till we reach our home base." Roshi said, leading them forward.

He looked up at the sky cursing. If this planet had a moon they were in big trouble. "Do you have a lunar cycle?"

"I know you seem troubled, but we can't stop. The Red Ribbon Army is less active at night, so we can cover more ground." He could tell that Gohan was trying to comfort him, but it wasn't working. He had not used the moon's power in a while. Vegeta had them rarely use it in their training.

"But the moon…"

Chichi huffed. "Goku, this is the end of this discussion. We have to get back to Capsule Corp."

"What's a Capsule Corp.?" What a strange name for a base.

"It is our base of operations for now. It used to be a company, before Red Ribbon took over." She said, she sounded aggravated.

He decided not to ask any more questions. Instead putting his head down as he walked. They had yet to tell him if the planet had a moon and the last thing he wanted to do was transform.

The Saiyans as a people had kept from transforming on a regular basis, mainly because they didn't want their home destroyed. Now if you were on a mission, it was fine, but this wasn't a mission. Vegeta had never given him the order and these people, as rude as they were, had agreed to help him. He could tell them about the transformation, but they already treated him in such an odd manner that he didn't know if it would help or not.

So far Gohan seemed to be the nicest one, even if he had given him the fake name that they were now using for him. He still didn't see what was so hard about saying Kakarot. Even some of the foreign planets that he and Vegeta had visited in the past did fine with it.

"Goku." He barely heard the name, but didn't look up. He refused to be called by that name. "Goku." He looked around the ground only, seeing their foot prints in front of him. So he knew that he was still following them. "GOKU!"

"FOR THE LAST TIME, MY NAME IS KAKAROT!" He roared in anger. His eyes snapped up and he watched as Chichi backed up in fear. His tail was flicking back and forth, showing his irritation.

She paled slightly, but put herself into a fighting position. "You don't have to be so angry all of the time."

"Well if you weren't so rude, I wouldn't have to be." He growled back.

She looked at him confused. "Rude…how are we rude? We told you that we would help you find your Prince."

Gohan stepped forward with a gentle smile on his face. "Chichi, I think I know what this is." The girl made a small sound in protest, but didn't say anything as Gohan came forward. "Something about the night makes you uneasy, does it have to deal with the moon?"

He was about to answer the man, but in that second he looked up. The sky was not only dark, but as his fears predicted, the moon was out. The full orb lighting up the sky. At least that's what he would have seen if his mind didn't start to go blank. He was only able to get one word out before he was gone. "Leave…"

The world faded as primal instincts took over, his body twisting and growing under the moons gaze.

In his line of sight all he saw were ants. Two old, one young. They angered him. He made to crush them with his feet, but they moved surprisingly fast. He let out a snarl, he would not fail. They were an unknown, they had to die, their smell was all wrong.

He heard them screaming, as he pulled trees straight from the ground and started tossing them forward. This should quiet them.

Then to his utter shock the eldest one with the cane, dashed forward, looking up to the sky and aiming his hands together. He heard a string of gibberish, followed by a huge blast of energy that flew past his shoulder. The old man missed. If he could laugh, he would.

But then he felt drained. Like he had been knocked out from behind or something. His eyes darted around and he noticed one last thing before he blacked out. The ground seemed a lot darker.

* * *

"Give the boy some room." Roshi said as he came too.

He rubbed his head, it felt like someone had hit him upside the head with one of Tarble's wrenches. "What…what happened?" All he could remember was Gohan's question about the moon. From there he gathered what had happened and he started preparing himself for the on slot of questions and strange looks he was going to get.

"You became a giant monkey!" Chichi said, she still looked pale. "You turned back after Master Roshi destroyed the moon."

"It seems that was what you were trying to tell us, wasn't it Goku." Gohan said, confusing him with a look of concern. Why were they being so nice, he had just tried to kill them?

"Ozzaru is pure instinct. Just one look at the moon and that happens. During that time, my kind can't control their actions." He hated admitting to his failure. He cursed the fact that he looked at the moon.

To his disbelief it wasn't either of the men that tried to comfort him, but the brat known as Chichi. "So you can't tell friend from foe?"

"We can, but it only recognizes other Saiyans and that only works if they too are Ozzaru." He said quietly.

Both of the older men left. They said something about food and a fire, but their words were lost one him. He was too angry with himself.

Chichi didn't seem to want to let it go and just cocked her head to the side. "Then how did you live in villages? Wouldn't someone see the moon and crush it?"

"Well everyone just stays inside at night. Unless they are like my brother. A small part of our kind can't transform. My brother Raditz is like that." He gave a sad smile when the thought of his brother. Sometimes it seemed like his brother liked him, but other times it looked like he loathed him. He just wished someone would explain Raditz's past to him, then Raditz wouldn't have to hide anything and he wouldn't have to be left in the dark.

He tried to ignore her next question, but she wouldn't let him do that. "Is Raditz strong?"

He glared up at her. "You can say my brother's name but you can't say mine."

She looked slightly offended. "Can I take that as a yes?"

"No, he's not stronger than me. He's weak, but he's smart." He grumbled.

She seemed to get excited. "He's a genius then!"

He did not like where his conversation was going. "Yes, he is, but that isn't a norm among my kind." He crossed his arms.

She giggled. "You seem to be jealous…"

"I'm not jealous! If anything he is jealous of me!" He snarled.

Her face fell. "You don't get along?"

He looked up noting the dejected look in her eyes. He sighed. "If he told me anything it would help. Sometimes everything seems fine, other times it's like he hates me and our parents."

"Why would he hate you? You're a family. I mean you've been together for your entire lives…"

He sighed looking down. "Actually we haven't, Raditz disappeared when I was a baby. He didn't return until 3 years ago. We don't know much about his disappearance, but I do know that he wasn't in the best of places. When he first returned, he explained some of it, but I know that he left a lot of it out. Vegeta has alluded it plenty of times."

"So you're brothers but you know nothing about each other?" She said, sitting down next to him.

"Just once I wish he would just talk about it, but he always talks to Tarble about it instead." He looked at her and saw a confused look on her face. "Tarble is Vegeta's brother."

"So another Prince? Is he strong or smart?"

"Smart, but him and Vegeta have the perfect relationship. They trust each other. Raditz and I...no matter what I do, I can't get him to tell me anything." He didn't know why he was telling this girl everything. Maybe he just needed to get it all off of his chest and he really couldn't say anything to his parents about it. His mother would cry and his father would just block it out, anything from that time seemed to be taboo to talk about. It seemed that his father had learned something, but he just wanted to be the loop to.

He watched Chichi look up at the sky. "You guys should talk. I wish I could go back and say something to my parents before….before Red Ribbon."

He gave her a questioning look. "But I thought Gohan was…"

She shook her head. "Gohan isn't my real Grandfather. He trained under Roshi with my father, but when Red Ribbon came…they were too much for my father. I barely made it out of my home. My father died protecting me…Gohan came by a few days later and I left with him."

He didn't know what to say. Some families were broken back home, but it was still a rarity.

Suddenly she jumped up from her seat, getting into a fighting position. What was her deal? He took a whiff and jumped up from his seat…they had company…

* * *

The underground base was dark, but he could hardly complain. It seemed that the girl was alone. They had passed through a couple of room and they were all empty. He wondered where everyone was. She said this was home, but we were her family?

She looked back at him unhappily, she must have seen his curious face. "They are gone. My mother and father were killed at the beginning of the war. I just make use of this shelter. Actually most of the people that come here seek scrap and shelter for the night. Red Ribbon has tried to get past my security system, but they can't." She sighed.

He looked passed her and up at a screen. "Why don't you make something to defend yourself with?"

"Then that would be selfish. I can't hoard all of the metal here. The best I can do is keep the system up and running." She wasn't looking at him.

He looked around, wondering if she was always alone here. "Does anyone keep you company?"

"Yamcha did, and there are others who live here. Master Roshi, Gohan, and his Granddaughter Chichi usually stay here. It really isn't a home, but we make the most of it." She said walking away from him and unscrewing a panel. He watched as she started cleaning the wires.

"How many do you think are still alive?" He wondered out loud.

"Most of the people on this rock are either with Red Ribbon or they have become outlaws of some kind. Thieving mongrels out for themselves. I learned at a young age not to trust anyone."

He smirked. "But you let me in."

She gave him a horrified look. "You wouldn't…"

He chuckled. "No, I wouldn't have saved your life if I was just after some scraps of metal. Trust me, I have no idea how any of this works."

A look of relief flashed across her face. Then a look of aggravation. "That's right, you need me to make you a ship."

His smirk grew. "That's right, girl"

She glared at him. "I have a name, you know!"

He let out a snort of laughter. "Would you like me to call you something else than…how about miss."

Her face turned red. "Do you want me to help you or not?"

"Fine, fine, what was it again..Bloomer…" He said, tormenting her was becoming his new favorite hobby.

"Bulma!" She shouted, getting up in his face. Now there gazes were on equal footing. He had to hand it to her. She had more courage than most. Ambassadors of some of the most dangerous planets had bowed to his power, but not his girl. She had a fire to her, which was far more appealing than even the strongest of female fighters back home.

He grinned. "So when will you have the ship ready?"

"If you can bring me the head of the man in charge of the Red Ribbon Army, then I will make you your ship. Until then, you get nothing."

"That can be arranged." Now he was even more interested. Rarely did anyone ever put a price on the head of someone, just knowing that the person was dead was usually enough. If she wanted the head, there was probably a reason. "Can I ask why you want his head?"

She looked conflicted. "It's a long story."

He sat down. "It looks like your friends won't be back tonight. I have time."

She sat across from him. It was the only other chair available. "Well, my father was one of the greatest scientists in the world. When Red Ribbon came to power they wanted him to join them. They wanted him to create soldiers for him from scrap. My father refused. He believed that inventing should be made to better the lives of people, not to control or destroy them. My father barely escaped from them, but he led them to my mother and me. They killed my mother first. My father found a way out for me, but was caught. I hid in the safe rooms of our mansion. A couple of days after that I found their head plastered to the walls, hung so that anyone could see what would happen if you defied them."

She stopped her story and gave him an odd look, he didn't realize he was growling. He stopped and gave her a small frown. "Continue."

"After that I just lived on my own until the others started showing up. I ended up burying my parent's heads, after I got them off the wall. Yamcha came here last. He promised that he would take care of them, but you know how that turned out." She said dejectedly.

He thought back to the dead boy. "He wasn't born to be a warrior."

"Master Roshi tried to teach him, but he just didn't have the drive, he was scared, we all are….Except Chichi, she does a lot better in her training."

He quirked an eyebrow up. "Who is this Chichi? Also this Master, you have brought him up a few times."

Her eye lit up. "Chichi is really my closest friend. She came here with her grandfather. Master Roshi is a master of Earth's fighting techniques but he also knows how to sense Ki."

"Ki?" He had never heard of such a thing.

"Life energy. Basically it allows you to find anyone without a tracker."

Now this was interesting. The ability to sense ones opponent would make scouters useless. "Do you know anything else about this Ki?"

"Not too much. Roshi should be returning soon, so he can probably explain it."

"Good." He watched as Bulma got back up and began walking towards a strange rectangle that was in the room they were in.

"I'm not the best at cooking, but I do have some food…if you're hungry that is." She blushed. His stomach growled before he could answer and she laughed. "I'll take that as a yes."

To Be Continued…

 _Authors Note_

 _So what is about to attack Chichi and Kakarot? Vegeta is still power hungry as always. So we know about what happened to the Ox King and the Briefs, so see Yamcha wasn't the only sacrifice. Ducks out of way of projectiles._

 _Anyway what do you think, my reading audience? Leave a review, if you want over this chapter telling me what you think. I love hearing from my readers, whether it be positive or negative._


	22. Chapter 22

Kakarot waited, ready to fight whatever was coming towards them. Chichi also looked ready, but he could sense her fear. She knew who was coming. He didn't know how he knew that, but he did.

Suddenly out of the brush, a loud parade of gun fire roared around them. Chichi froze. He realized that she couldn't deal with the blasts, her body wasn't made for that. Without thinking he grabbed her hand and threw her out of the barrage of bullets, all of which were hitting him, but doing nothing. Sure, he could feel welts on his skin, but it was nothing too serious.

He turned his focus back to the blasts, leaping out of the way from them. Even if they didn't hurt too much, they were still annoying.

He noted the direction that they were coming from. Most coming from the east. He took no time, dodging the rest of the bullets. He knew where his targets were.

As he jumped skyward, he readied his hands. He needed a strong blast for this. He was about to unleash the blast when he heard a scream behind him.

A strange yellow haired man was going after Chichi, she looked like she was trying to hold him off, but the man was using some kind of rod. He growled. Sending the blast at the wall of gun fire, before turning his back on it.

The man was about to hit Chichi with the rod, but he slid, knocking the man off his feet.

He looked at the scared female, hoping that she wasn't harmed. Her eyes were wide as they looked at him. "Are you okay?" He asked as the man started to rise to his feet.

The man started to chuckle. "You know, it's been a long time sense I've had the pleasure of a real fight." He said, wiping the mix of mud and blood from his face.

He felt himself smirk as he turned to face the man. "You wouldn't even know what a real fight was it hit you in the head with that stick."

The man's sneer dropped from his face. "Now listen here, you brat! See this badge!" He pointed to the strange red mark on his uniform. So this guy was from the Red Ribbon that Chichi was talking about. "This means that you listen to me!"

He growled, as a ball of energy began to form in his hand. "Listen to you? You must be joking? You look nothing like Vegeta." And with that he sent the blast forward as the man put up his stick to shield himself.

He turned back to find a slightly horrified Chichi. "Sorry about that, now back to what I was asking, are you okay?"

She gaped at him for a couple of seconds. "I…"

In a matter of seconds, the pain crept through his body, the man had somehow survived the blast and was now unleashing the true power of the rod. Electric shocks were being sent through his body and he couldn't move. It was like he was paralyzed or something.

"You really thought you could stop Red Ribbon, don't make me laugh." The man said flipping his hair.

He tried to snarl, but he couldn't even move his face. How the hell would he get out of here? Why did he let his guard down? Vegeta warned him about being cocky and now he just blew it. He wanted to cry out, but he wouldn't give the man the satisfaction.

"General Blue, he's not the one you want!" He heard Chichi scream. She was scared, but she wasn't giving up. "Let him go!"

"Oh, it looks like the Ox King's little girl found herself a boyfriend. Too bad he had to get in the way!"

He was getting angrier, he shouldn't be this weak…maybe Raditz was right about that toxin. Maybe both he and Vegeta were too weak right now. He cursed the King and his plans.

"I'll go with you...just please stop!" She was pleading for his life, how degrading. For some reason, this General Blue wanted her to go with him. Why? He needed to find out.

He tried to move and found that he was starting to move forward, his hand dragging himself forward. He tried to make words, but he couldn't do that yet. Instead, he looked up at her, just as she looked down at him. Tears were bursting forward as she cried. He gave her a stern look. It was all he could do. He needed her to not give in to this man. He needed her to trust him. It was strange, but it seemed like even through her fear and sadness that she understood what he wanted.

She moved quickly, he knew she would only have one shot. He waited hoping that she could do it.

The man cursed as the pain was released from his body, instead he heard Chichi scream out to his horror. This Blue had her pinned down, the rod was forgotten. "WHERE IS THE DRAGON BALL?!"

He pulled himself up as fast as he his body would allow. He rushed forward, grabbing the man's head and dragging him off of Chichi. He growled, for making him look like a weakling this human would pay. He grabbed the man's neck. "Any last words?" He whispered into the man's ear.

The man was sputtering, confused at the sudden shift in power.

"I thought not. Let this be a lesson to you and your army…if I would even call them that…do not cross a Saiyan." And with that he, used barely enough power to take down a full grown Saiyan and the man's neck snapped.

His gaze went back to Chichi, who was shaking after her ordeal. He strode over, not aware of the blood down his armor. She looked up at him, but didn't say anything.

"Chichi, are you going to be okay? It was my fault, I got cocky and…" He stumbled over his words.

She launched herself forward hugging him. It was strange, but not unpleasant. After a couple of minutes, she pulled herself away from him. "Thank you, Gok….Kakarot." She gave him a sad smile.

Suddenly he felt embarrassed. "But I messed up."

"But you still took out a lot of them." He turned and found that she was correct. The shooters from before were all strewn about. There had to be a small mountain of corpses.

He walked away from her grasp and over to Blue's body. "Who was this guy?"

She looked down. "That was General Blue. He was the strongest of their Generals."

He took the rod in his hands, crushing it to dust. He would not allow himself to be that weak ever again. "So, what is a Dragon Ball?"

She blushed. "Bulma, discovered them. We only have two and Red Ribbon have the other five. If you have them you can make any wish you want. We were going to wish Red Ribbon away." She said sadly.

"You can wish for anything?" This was interesting. He would remember that for later.

"Well, yes. Red Ribbon wants to rule the universe, so they want all of the Balls."

He felt himself growl. Only the Saiyans would rule the universe, it was their destiny. "Is that why your father was killed?"

She nodded. "He was one of the guardians. His Ball was taken. Roshi and Gohan were also guardians, that's how we got the balls we have."

"Where are these Balls now?" He had to know, Vegeta would definitely be interested in these Dragon Balls.

"They are back at our base. Don't worry, they're protected. Bulma is there with Yamcha."

He gave her a confused look. "Who?"

She sighed. "Bulma is a genius, she can make just about anything and Yamcha is well…he's going to make Bulma a bride someday."

He still felt confused. "What is bri…?"

"Goku, Chichi. We are so glad we found you. I saw the fire and I got worried." Gohan said coming out of the brush, well what was left of it.

"Don't worry Grandpa, Kakarot took care of them." She said. She seemed much happier. He was just glad that she wasn't calling him that weird name anymore.

"I see that. Roshi and I were going to find some fire wood, but now I think it would be better if we keep going."

She looked like she was going to nod in agreement, but she stopped to look at him. "You don't need to heal do you? Blue was shocking you for a long time."

He crossed his arms. "No, Saiyans get stronger after a fight like that. I bet my power level has gone up again."

The girl looked clueless as to what he was saying, but he wasn't going to elaborate, he had already told her too much anyway. He walked passed her and toward Gohan, they had places to be and he still needed to find Vegeta.

* * *

Vegeta was still hungry, Bulma didn't make that much food, but he believed that it was due to her not knowing anything about a Saiyan appetite. Also if things were as bad as she said, then food would be scarce.

She gave him an annoyed look when his stomach lurched. "Are you really still hungry?"

"Saiyan's eat a lot. It's probably because we use so much energy when we are fighting." That and he was in hibernation for two weeks. He should have grabbed some food packs before he and Kakarot landed, but there was no time.

"Well this is all we have. I would give you more, but I got to save up. If I don't we may not make it through this war." She turned and started to punch in a code. "Not that I don't trust you, but I can't have you just binge eating whenever you want."

"What if I get you some food? Hunting is easy for my kind." He had noticed the lack of meat during their meal. This girl was living off of sprouts for the most part. She could grow them down here is she wanted to.

He watched her expression change, the promise of meat was a great motivator. "You would do that? But you're a prince?"

He let out a chuckle. "Yes, but a warrior must hunt before he placed on the battlefield. Just because I am a prince, doesn't mean that I would be excluded from that. No matter what my father says. I know more about my people then that lug will ever know." He didn't mean to rant, now she would as questions.

As if on que, she asked. "You don't get along with your father?"

He sighed. "A long time ago, I believed he was in the right, but as I got older I saw the truth. Everything he does is for his own benefit and not for Planet Vegeta. When I take the crown I don't want that. I want to raise my race and make it so that the entire galaxy respects us. I refuse to let them get knocked down." Again he said too much. To his surprise, he found it easy to talk to her. She wasn't judging him, instead she looked rather curious.

"That must be hard, especially if you looked up to him."

"He's strong but he doesn't fight. You know how frustrating that is? Our kind are fighters. We concur planets, fight in wars, and used to be in the business of mass genocide, until I put a stop to it. It was all because of a deal he made and the longer I stay away, the more I worry that he will start all of it over again." He slammed his hand down on the table, leaving a dent in it.

"Then why did you leave?" She asked, taking his hand.

He growled. "He tried to kill me. He fears my power and he wanted me to be eliminated. Now I just wonder how Tarble is holding up or if he is still alive."

"Tarble? She said, she seemed to be taking everything in stride.

"My younger brother, he's much weaker than I am. I just hope that father hasn't killed him or worse." He really didn't know where all of this was coming from. Maybe he just needed to get this all off of his chest.

"What could be worse than death?" He looked over at her, seeing the fear in her eyes as such a concept.

"You don't want to know." He watched her shiver as if she was cold. "I picked this planet at random when I was trying to find a place to train. I just wanted to be stronger. I was weakened by the attack on my life and I also am trying to become a walking legend. That is the only thing that can save my people and end this mess."

She stood up and started looking at a computer. He was about to ask her what she was doing. When she smiled back at him. "I should have enough to make you a training room. If you want it that is. Just get us food and take care of Red Ribbon and I will stop handing out metal. With any luck, we can save both of our worlds."

To Be Continued…

 _Author's Note_

 _I was so tempted to put in a TFS quote when Chichi brought up Yamcha. Yes, Vegeta did just open up to Bulma a bit on what is going on back home, but it's kind of needed. He learned about her last chapter so it was only fitting. Also finally Chichi calls him Kakarot. And the Dragon Balls do exist in this story._


	23. Chapter 23

He couldn't tell what time it was, but he knew it had to be night time outside. A couple of hours ago, Bulma went off to sleep. He tried to sleep in the room she had given him, but he just couldn't get the troubles of home off his mind.

Sure, Tarble was making headway, but he looked so scared when he left. The boy could take care of himself, but he lacked confidence. His father was probably trying to poison his mind at this very moment. What would Tarble be like when he returned? Would he be locked up again for his weakness or would their father try and turn him against him. That was a fate he could not live with. After everything he had done for his brother, the idea of him turning on him would have to be his greatest fear. Not that he would tell him that.

But now that wasn't the only fear…not really fear, more like annoyance was that Kakarot was out there and if it was night it was highly likely that he had transformed. The boy would be ashamed with himself when he came to. Especially after he discovered that he had made an ally with someone who lived here. Kakarot may have been a killer in the right situations, but he really wasn't one for civilian kills. It may have been his age, but the Prince knew that wasn't it. Kakarot had a softer side, not that it was a bad thing. It helped him adjust to any situation. If they needed to just talk trade agreements, Kakarot could stay calm and listen. If it was an unfriendly endeavor than he was ready for that too.

He couldn't help but smirk at this. It meant that his estimations on the boy were correct. His father's Captain was careless. He remembered that he had had to talk them out of more than one war with him at the helm. Kakarot would eliminate that problem.

He turned over one more time, before just getting up. There was no way he could sleep, not with how his thoughts were keeping him awake.

His stomach lurched again. That wasn't helping either. As he strode out of the room, he was surprised to find that Bulma was still up. She turned to him and looked a little shocked to see him. She must have thought that he had passed out. He quirked an eyebrow at her while taking in her outfit. He didn't like it. She was far to covered for his liking…not that he wanted her to parade around here naked, but he couldn't see the slight curves that were starting to form on her, not only that but the strange mask that was on the top of her head was jarring. He sent her a glare without even meaning to.

"What? I'm working on your machine." She said trying to get him to stop with his glare.

"What the hell are you wearing?" It just looked so strange to him.

She let out a giggle. "It's a protective layer. The last thing I want to do is burn myself. Welding isn't that safe."

"Welding?" He had never heard of this welding. Sometimes he would catch some of the things that Tarble was saying, but most of the time he just ignore the techno babble.

She giggled again. "It's a process of heating up metal so that it can fuse together."

He smirked. "So you're only wearing that because you're a weakling that can't take the heat."

She frowned. "No, I just don't want to have my skin melt off. Now if you'll excuse me." She said with a twinge of annoyance, before lower the mask and lighting some strange stick.

He watched her work with a level of amusement. Annoying her was rather fun, it took his mind off of what was happening back home. After a few minutes, she seemed to forget him, but he stayed silent. He watched her every move, watching her work was kind of relaxing. Before he knew it, hours had passed and she had finished an entire wall. He watched her turn off the stick and flip the mask back. Her face was covered in sweat and again she was surprised to find him still standing there.

"You could have done something else. You didn't have to watch." She said. slightly annoyed.

He would have been thrown off by her words, but he was still staring at her face. The sweat was making her face glisten in the light. It was then that he realized what was going on. What his mind was doing to him. It was selecting her. He almost growled at himself. Before pushing himself away from the wall. He needed to put some distance between them before something bad happened. As he went to leave, she grabbed his shoulder.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going? You stand there and watch me work for hours on end and when I'm done you leave! What do you think I am! A servant!" She yelled in his ear.

He cringed. "Leave me alone." He said pulling himself away from her. Now was not the time for this, he tried to tell his hormones. He had more important things to worry about at the moment.

He stormed off, back to the room that she had given him. He would keep himself in here if need be. He would not let some stupid hormones control him.

Just when he thought that he was alone, he heard her outside the door, banging her hands against it. He almost snarled. He could smell the sweat now, and it was almost making him mad. He didn't have this problem with her yesterday, so why now. He covered his face, hoping that she would go away. He wasn't even listening to what she was saying.

"You know what? If you want to stay in there then I guess you can go hungry!" She laughed from the other side of the door.

So she can be cruel as well. He almost smirked behind his hand, then cringed as his stomach started its lurching. It felt like his body was betraying him as everything wanted him to open the door.

He heard her sigh, then storm off. After a couple of minutes, he uncovered his mouth figuring that he was safe. He cursed as her scent hit him fast. His mind fogged and he made for the door. He didn't remember why he was in the room, he wanted out. The door opened and the halls were saturated with it. He made a low growl as he followed it. His body and mind were filling with excitement and his mouth started watering.

She was in the kitchen, her back was to him. He came forward just as she turned around.

"So you changed your mind." She said smugly at him. It made him smirk. Of course she would be witty. Wasn't that what he wanted? She turned her back to work on the counter. "Go ahead and sit down. It should be ready in a few…" He was behind her in seconds, wrapping his tail around her waist and dragging her so she was flush with his chest.

She tried to twist her head around, her voice was uneven as she cried out in panic. "Wha..what are you doing?!"

He didn't answer, instead he began to sniff at her neck. He let out a low growl. He found a spot on her neck that smelled the best. His jaw was starting to hurt, but he ignored it, going in and lapping at her neck. He heard her gasp and a rush of lust seemed to go through him.

"Vegeta…" Just hearing his name was sending chills down his spine. He let out a groan, he would finish this. "Stop!" With that she threw something in his face. It stunk, filling his nose in seconds. His lust quickly became disgust.

He began to claw at his nose, trying his hardest to get the offending smell to disappear. "What the hell?!"

She put her hands on her hips, enraged. "I think I should be the one saying that!"

He looked up, the smell still in his nose. Why was he in the kitchen? Wasn't he keeping his distance? He scanned her neck and realized what he was doing. Shock and embarrassment took over. He cursed himself.

"Well! I would like an explanation!" Bulma said coming close to his face and screaming at him.

He didn't know what to say. Anything he said would put him in hot water. "I…" He had never been lost for words in his entire life, he cursed himself. This was not how the ruler of the galaxy would act. He had to be direct. "You need a shower or something!" He crossed his arms and got farther away from her.

Her eyes flashed in confusion for a second, but went back to angry. "So you're telling me that I stink! Then why were you all over my neck?!"

"You're smell is too strong!" He yelled back in her face.

"I know I stink, but that doesn't explain your behavior!"

He sighed. "Saiyans respond to smells. Body odor is kind of a…" He let his sentence end off there, she was smart enough to figure it out.

She turned red, but she still looked confused. "So wait, you reacted that way because I smell bad?"

"No, you smell good!" He said rather annoyed with the situation. He cursed himself at his admittance. Could this day get any worse?

"You think that I smell good? Like this? You have to be joking?"

He gave her a frown. "I do have one question? Did I mark you?"

She cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Did I bite you?"

She shook her head in confusion. "No, why?"

He let out a sigh of relief. "Forget it. Just remember to keep yourself free of that smell, better yet try and cover your smell up!"

With that he tried to storm out of the room. He didn't want to disgrace himself or his race any further. She made to follow, but was distracted by a loud knocking.

"They must be back!" She rushed passed him and he found that the offending smell was already starting to fade away. He grumbled running back into the kitchen and grabbing the offending white plant from the counter, he would have to carry this thing around for a while.

After that he made his way to the front. He looked up and saw two old men and another young girl.

The black haired girl jumped down first. "Bulma, you're not going to believe what we ran into?"

"Trust me, after the night I had, I can believe it." Bulma grumbled as the two old men came down.

"We met an alien!" Chichi said excitedly.

There was this alien word again, he let out an annoyed huff, but Bulma ignored him. She was going to be mad at him for a while.

The softer looking old man was about to say something when the other old man grabbed at Bulma's chest. She let out a screech, pulling away. He roared, rage going through him. All eyes turned to him, even Bulma looked surprised.

"Who is that?" The perverted old man said, backing away from his murderous gaze.

The girl looked like she was going to answer for him, when he heard his name being called from the top of the shaft. He knew that voice. He smirked.

"Kakarot get down here." He ordered and the boy obeyed.

"I knew it was you when you roared. I know that roar anywhere." Kakarot said proud of himself.

He had to say he was impressed. The boy had made it through the night and even found him. "Did you suffer any damage when you came in?"

"No, just a broken scouter." The boy reported.

"Good. That girl there" He said pointing at Bulma "Said that she will make us a room to train. Just as long as we hunt for her and get rid of some army." He crossed his arms confident.

The boy puffed his chest out in pride. "I've taken care of some of that army already."

"I hope you saved some fun for me." He said trying not to laugh. Kakarot was a great distraction. He could get his mind off of the blue haired girl's smell.

The boy nodded. "There has to be more from where they came from."

"Good, where would you put their power level at?" He wanted an estimation from someone who would know, these humans had no way of telling such things.

"I would say that they are lower than most of the third class. I did run into one that was stronger, but that was only due to his weapon. If he didn't have it I would say about 115 or less." Kakarot said unimpressed.

He threw his head back and laughed. "That's all? That's nothing!"

"It's not funny!" The girl with the black hair yelled back at him.

He glared at her. "And who might this harpy be?"

"That's Chichi." Kakarot answered for her.

"Harpy?!" The girl had her hand in a fist, she looked ready to charge. "I'll show you harpy."

She charged forward, only for him to catch her fist midair. He let out a chuckle as he lifted her up by the hand. She gave out a small cry in pain. "Learn your place." He said flatly. He refused to be disrespected by this wench.

"Vegeta, let her go!" Bulma yelled at him from across the room.

Without thinking he dropped her. He turned his face to Bulma, who now looked terrified. That was the way it should be. "Get our gravity chamber finished, girl." He looked down at Kakarot, who looked slightly worried about the black haired girl. "Come Kakarot, we have much to discuss."

The boy nodded and they made their way back out onto the planet's surface. "Vegeta, why did you hurt Chichi?"

He growled. "She was disrespecting me. Remember Kakarot, in the past the Saiyan race was highly mocked, I won't allow some weak girl to try and attack me, nor will I let her interrupt my fun."

"Yeah, she shouldn't have tried to attack you." He was glad that his young charge saw things his way.

"So any other developments?" He watched as the boy flinched. "Kakarot?"

"I…I may have changed last night, I tried to warn them, but they wouldn't listen.."

He crossed his arms. "Then they are in the wrong, Kakarot." He was getting a little angrier at the humans down in the bunker. "At least now they know the power of an Oozaru."

Kakarot placed his hand behind his head. "Well…we can't use that here, at least anymore, that old guy with the cane blew the moon up."

He chuckled. "So now we can roam the night undisturbed. That old pervert may also be the key to use getting stronger, he apparently can sense power levels."

"Yes and he was capable of destroying the moon, so there is that too."

He felt his smirk grow. "Maybe it was truly fate that we crashed down here." He turned to leave. "Come on Kakarot, we have some food to track down."

"Vegeta, wait! There is one more thing." Kakarot said with a smirk on his face.

Now he had to ask. "What?"

He stood in awe as Kakarot told him of group of artifacts that could change everything.

To Be Continued…

 _Authors Note_

 _Poor Veggie, this was a hell of a night/day for him wasn't it. First, he was couldn't sleep, then his hormones decided to be a bitch, and now both he and Kakarot have been reunited. You may be wondering how Bulma can trigger the whole mating thing. It's not really exclusive to the Saiyan race, as long as the person can produce a smell, they can be targeted for mating. Next chapter we return to Planet Vegeta, but we may get some more moments on Earth, not much but some._


	24. Chapter 24

Tarble sighed to himself, it had been two weeks since shit hit the fan and it wasn't getting better. The red hew never returned to his eyes and he was beginning to lose confidence in himself. He knew nothing of combat, he was a man of science, but now he was in charge of so many Saiyans, who were now looking to him for answers.

Raditz had been some help, but he knew nothing of battle either. He was always trying to encourage him. Neither of them knew how to devise teams for such things, and he didn't understand formations either.

The greatest help seemed to come from Raditz's father, Bardock had spent most of his life fighting and for that Tarble was grateful, but it wasn't the same. He just wanted Vegeta to return, his brother could fix all of this.

He looked around the bunker they were staying in, after the riots they had fled the city for the country. Unlike the elites, the lower class Saiyan's could live off of the land. They were sure to never run out of food, hunting was something even he and Raditz could partake in.

Raditz was gone for the moment and he was stuck with so many different battle plans that Bardock and many others had left for him. He wasn't sure that they should attack the city yet. His father had not made a move and he didn't know what they would find there.

If he wasn't the one in command, he would have the time to make something to read the transmissions his father had to be sending out. They already knew that one ship had left the planet's surface, but he had no idea what it was for. If only he could just work in peace, then he could come up with a better plan.

"You're over thinking it." His eyes snapped over to the young female Tech-Tech that had just entered the room, she had come in her not so cutesy form.

He sighed again. "I don't have time to entertain you." He tried flipping through the papers again, but she stopped him.

He glared up at her, but she just smiled back much to his confusion. "You're going about this all wrong."

"Look, I have a war to worry about. I can't be bothered with play time." He had been mocked his entire life, he wasn't going to let this girl mock him now that he was between a rock and hard place.

Her smile faded. "I'm being serious."

He almost growled. "Why don't you go back to Gine, Gure? I have a lot of work to do."

She shrank back, looking sad. "I just wanted to help."

"You can help by staying out of my way. This isn't Tech-Tech." He said in anger.

She looked down. "So I'm going to be locked up with Gine."

He froze, cursing himself. "You're not being locked up. It's just complicated right now. This is the only way for you to stay safe."

He hoped that she would stop this nonsense but she wasn't going to let this go. "That's what my brother used to say…before he tried to use me as a shield."

He should have just said nothing instead of digging himself a bigger hole, but he just wanted her to stop. "Look, I'm not going to use you as a shield. I just have a lot on my plate and you're more helpful to the females at the moment."

Her face perked up a bit. "But I came here to help you, you just don't see it."

He felt his eyebrow twitch. "What?"

"You're doing this the wrong way, I don't mean you going to war. I'm talking about how you're going about this." She said trying to explain.

He cocked his head to the side, what was she getting at? "I still don't understand."

She let out a huff. "I thought you were supposed to be smart?"

"I am smart! This just isn't my field of expertise!" He looked off to the side. "This is Vegeta's thing."

"Then stop trying to do things the way Vegeta would do them. Use your brain and come up with something." She said softly.

He glared at her. "I'm trying, but I know nothing of battle!"

She gave him a small smirk. "Who said anything about battles? Not all fighting has to be hand to hand."

He let out an annoyed laugh. "You know nothing of Saiyan culture."

"No. No I don't, but I do know that's what your father will be expecting. What Yogut will be expecting."

What she was saying was starting to sink in. His father would be expecting a fight…the elites knew how to fight back, heck they knew almost every fighting strategy.

But there were things that they didn't know. His eyes went back to the plans he had for tapping his father's communications.

He ran back over to that plan, pushing most of the battle plans out of the way. The gears in his mind were now turning, how had he not seen this before?!

A smirk was coming to his face as he starting punching numbers. His confidence growing again.

"So did you figure it out?" Gure said, rather happy with herself.

He ignored her, not because he was being rude, but because he was so wrapped up in his new plan. He hoped he could convince them to go along with it.

He was so focused that he didn't see more people start to enter.

"We need to speak with the Prince." One man said, looking down at Gure.

"Not now, he's busy." Gure said flatly.

The woman that was with the man looked angry. "Look here, Tech-Tech. This is Saiyan country, when we say we need to see the Prince, you move out of the way."

He didn't notice the girl looking back at him then back to the adults. "He's in the middle of something. Come back later." She crossed her arms and tried to puff out her chest.

The man pulled his hand out and started to form a ball of energy, her knees began to shake a bit. "Don't think that I won't blast you." The man said calmly, a wild smirk on his face.

Finally looking up from his work, he saw Gure face to face with the man's palm. He cleared his throat, making the man stop what he was doing. "I wish not to be disturbed, unless it is an emergency that is." He said it more threatening than he thought he was capable of doing.

The woman's face fell. "We just want to know when we can start fighting. We're getting restless."

He felt himself smirk. "Trust me, I have an idea. Tell the others that there will be a briefing later tonight."

The two seemed happy with this and started to leave. Giving Gure a sneer before almost exiting.

"One more thing. If you see Raditz, please send him by before then." He said, now confident in himself.

The man, who had turned his head to him, nodded before leaving with the woman.

"You were right." He said flatly.

Gure let out a small giggle. "I don't see why you doubted yourself."

He walked passed her, looking at the old scouter that was on a shelf above him. "You don't know anything about my brother do you? These are his people. They worship the ground he walks on. If you were to compare us, he would always win." He could see a slight look of sadness in her eyes. "Not that we would ever compete. I have the highest respect for Vegeta and I believe he respects me as well."

Her feet shuffled a bit. "So he would never use you to save himself?"

"No. Even back when I was locked up from the world, he would always find time to come and see me. That's more than what I can say for most. I wasn't made to brawl like most Saiyans. Before Zera's demise, my kind were locked away or mocked. It was believed to be a great dishonor to any family if they had a child without a power level."

She was about to ask more, but there was a rap on the door. Raditz was in the doorway. "I hear you got need to see me."

He gave his friend a smile. "Trust me, you're going to love this."

* * *

Vegeta and Kakarot started back towards the bunker, meat in hand. Finding suitable food on this planet wasn't that hard, the Prince didn't understand how the humans hadn't found anything besides those sprouts that Bulma was growing in the bunker.

"Where do you think the base for Red Ribbon is?" Kakarot asked, as he dragged the deer behind him.

"Well if what you said is correct, it must not be far from here. No army would send out that many soldiers to a random area. Maybe one or two, but not an entire battalion." He said, with two fish over his shoulder and another deer behind.

"So we would keep our guard up even if we are close to the bunker."

He smirk back at his young charge. Even if he didn't like the situation, Kakarot was learning a lot from it and this was a better learning experience than all of those council meetings. "So what do you think we should do with them once we find them?" He wasn't going to let the boy have the final say, but he did want his input. He would need this skills when he was a captain.

The boy stopped, he could tell that Kakarot was thinking. "Well, I would try and get those Balls from them first or at least some information on them. Then I would blast them."

He nodded his approval, but still wondered what those Balls could fully do. Sure, he could wish for anything, but what could he wish for? He had everything he wanted. Well, not everything, but those things could be gained with his power and wit. It would be no fun to have them just fall at his feet. No half the fun would be taking over the galaxy and just using those Balls would just feel unsatisfying.

"I wonder how everyone is doing back home." Kakarot said, hanging his head a little. This had been the longest that he was away from his family.

"They're fine, as long as Tarble follows my plans, they should be fine." He said, trying to get Kakarot off of that subject. He didn't know how long Tarble could last. His brother had been tortured before but he was there. Every horrible obstacle Tarble had faced in his past was nothing like this. He was alone. His brother couldn't ask him for help. He couldn't ask his advice nor could he vent his frustrations. No, Tarble would not be able to keep up with the façade that he had concocted. He just hoped that when he did return that his brother didn't hate him for leaving him like this. Not only that, but the pressures he would endure under his father would most likely break him.

But he couldn't think like that right now. He needed to focus on the battle up ahead and his training. That way they could return home. He had no time for worrying or human problems, nor did he have time for what his mind was doing to him when it came to that girl with the blue hair. He had to ignore those things. They weren't really important, the fate of his empire was.

"Vegeta are you okay?" Kakarot questioned.

His face snapped over to the younger Saiyan. He didn't realize that Kakarot had been prattling on and on about something. He had been too lost in his thoughts.

He put on a fake smirk. "Never better. Now where is that code reader?" He didn't realize that they were outside the bunker until he looked around.

He gave a genuine smirk when Kakarot found it and started pressing the buttons. Bulma's code was rather easy. If those Red Ribbon guys wanted to get in, they must have been way too lazy because this was far too easy. He heard the small ding as the door came open. He motioned for Kakarot to go first, the boy grabbed his deer and threw it down the shoot before jumping himself.

He started tossing the fish down, watching as Kakarot caught it carefully and laying it off to the side. He pushed the other deer down next as he heard the excited sounds from the humans below. He felt himself smirk again as he heard the girls going over the idea of making something called stew.

Just as he was about to jump down, a strange smell hit his nose. The unknown smell didn't seem friendly either, he could smell some kind of blasting agent, so weaponry was involved.

He stepped back from the bunker, pushing a button and closing it off. Then he turned around to face the smell.

If the human out there wanted a fight, he would give them it.

To Be Continued…

 _Authors Note_

 _So we get a little of both planets. What was on the ship that left Planet Vegeta? What is Tarble's plan? Who is stalking Vegeta? Guess you got to read the next chapter to find out._


	25. Chapter 25

He stayed silent, waiting for his opponent to make the first move. Whoever it was had stayed silent as if thinking at he could sneak up on him. Like anyone could ever sneak up on him. His senses were too great.

He heard a pile of scrap fall to his right, but continued to stare at his left. The smell came from that direction, the noise was a ruses. This person wanted him to turn his back to him.

He couldn't help the smirk that began to form on his face. This was the work of an assassin. It didn't matter what planet you were on. The job of murder for hire was so easy to pinpoint. Every assassin had to learn to hide into the shadows and while this one had done that, he had not prepared himself fully. He had never came face to face with someone that could smell him out.

Again to his right metal began to clang loudly, as if it was trying to mask something. The smell came closer. Impressive. This person was trying to make it so he couldn't hear his approach. It wouldn't matter, he could still smell him.

So taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and gave into his sense of smell, blocking out all of his other senses. The smell came closer. Its movement frantic as it weaved from side to side. He was trying to make his position as vague as possible, but it didn't matter. The man's smell was growing, not only out of movement, but also out of nervousness. This wasn't his first time, but he wasn't fully accomplished either.

The smell was almost on top of him now, but he dare not move. This was more fun, making his prey come to him.

The man divvied forward, only to for him to jump up and elbow him in the face. He heard as the man fell to his knees and opened his eyes. To his surprise, he didn't look like the other humans did. Not only did he not have hair, but an extra eye was in the center of his forehead. Looking over the man as he spit up some blood, he could see a small red insignia on his chest, coupled with two R's. This man worked for Red Ribbon.

He let out a chuckle. "So, you thought I would be an easy target, did you not?"

To his surprise the man made it to his feet, looking quite angry. "You may have got the first hit, but that is all that you're getting." The man said it in a much calmer tone than he thought possible, especially with how angry he looked at failing to end him.

"You really think you stand a chance against me?" Placing his hand up, he began to form a small ball of energy. "A lowly Human against a Saiyan like myself, don't make me laugh." He released the ball, throwing it at the assassin.

The man barely dodged it. Rolling over and getting to his feet, the man put his hands in a strange formation. It didn't take long for the Prince to realize what the other was doing. "See if you can handle this, Tri-beam!" The blast came right at him, but he didn't move, waiting for just the right moment.

He placed his arm in front of his chest, knocking the blast away from him. The assassin stood there speechless. He started to laugh. "Is that all that you got?" He mocked the man. "Or do you have something else up your sleeve?"

The man didn't say anything, but he was beginning to smell the fear that was coming off of him. The man knew that this was the end of him.

The rubble behind him moved again, much to his annoyance. "You know that trick is not going to help you. It didn't work then, it won't work now." With that he walked up the man, putting his hand on his face. "Any last words?"

The scrap metal exploded behind him, making him remove his hand and dodge the flying debris. He cursed the three-eyed human and his tricks, but he could see that the man looked worried and desperate for some reason.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a child. Was it a child? No, it was just a very small human, but it looked even stranger than the man did. Its face was white and it had clearly marked red cheeks. He watched as it flew at him and he knew it was the source of the noise. He smirked to himself. It would pay for hurting his ears.

"Chiaotzu! Get away from here!" The man screamed up at them. It must have been his friend or something. If that was the case then this kill would be much sweeter.

"But Tien, we can't let him get away!" The small thing said, continuing to fly toward him. The thing was starting to gather energy in its palms. Two could play at that game.

Looking over the boy, he figure the amount of energy he would need. He put his hand behind his back. It would be more fun to let the boy think he had a shot. While behind his back, he began to gather energy. The man below would get a show.

Speaking of the man below, he had also taken to the sky. He must have thought that he could save his small friend if he moved fast enough, too bad his movements would be in vain.

The boy was only a foot away, when he pulled his arm back and placed it in front of him at his top speed and he released it.

Oh how glorious that sound was, the sound of death was always welcoming. He felt his expression become wilder as looked at where the boy was in front of him. He had used enough power that he had completely vaporized him.

"YOU BASTARD!" The man yelled, before landing a punch across his face.

He felt the light sting, but nothing more. He touched his face and was surprised to find his lip bleeding, he must have bit it when he got hit. He let out a growl and the man froze up again. Terrified at the enraged Saiyan Prince in front of him.

"Is that all!" He said calmly before, giving the human a punch of his own, right through the stomach. Blood spattered all over his armor, much to his delight. "You are really a pathetic race." With that he heard the man's last breath.

He pulled his arm free and watched as the man fell to the ground. He would have went straight down, but he was checking the air for smells, but it seemed he was in the clear.

He flew down and went back to the control pad, punching in Bulma's code. The latch opened and he jumped down, to find the worried humans down below and an annoyed Kakarot.

He already knew why the boy was annoyed. "Kakarot, there were only two and you got entire battalion earlier." He said crossing his arms.

The boy's face brightened a bit. "Were they strong?"

He let out a huff. "Hardly." He was having trouble seeing, some of the blood was cascading down is face and near his eyes.

He turned to the humans as a damp cloth smacked him in the face. He wiped the blood off and stared at the offender who dare throw something at him. Bulma didn't even flinch. She was still angry about what had happened before.

He looked back at Kakarot, he would ignore her. It would be the best way for him to stay away.

"You could have at least said thank you!" Bulma yelled after him.

He couldn't stop the smirk if he tried. "If anyone should be saying thank you, it would be you. I just stopped an assassin just outside your bunker." He yelled back.

"Yeah, an assassin that you lead back to us!" The girl was trying his nerves.

He stomped over, his armor still covered in blood. "And I took care of it didn't I!" He said in her face.

She didn't move, though. Just like before, she was standing up to him. "You wouldn't have had to if he didn't follow you! And now you're dripping blood everywhere!"

He smirked. "It comes with being a warrior! You wanted me to get rid of Red Ribbon and I just got rid of two, you should be happy!"

"Not when it's in my backyard!" She screamed back in his face.

He backed away, she was starting to smell good again. "I'm fulfilling my part of the bargain, I expect you to finish yours!"

She let out an irritated shriek, before stocking off. He couldn't help but let is eyes wonder as she left, then he cursed himself for ogling her. She was a weak human, there was no way he would take her as a mate. Even if she did have the personality he was looking for.

Kakarot gave him a funny look, but he was interrupted. Apparently the other girl had made food.

* * *

He was slightly nervous, would they go along with his idea? It was truly brilliant, but would they be able to understand it.

Raditz seemed on board with it, but that didn't mean that everyone would be fine with it.

He watched as people began to pile in and he waited. He wanted them to all be here for this.

Raditz was a great comfort, at his side if he needed anything.

When the room was full and silence came over the room, he cleared his throat. "Good evening, now I know that we haven't come to blows yet, but I think I have just came up with an idea that will put us at a great advantage." He could see all of them looking up at him in anticipation.

He turned his back. "Who can tell me where the elites get their food supply?" He cocked his head back around to find the room completely stumped.

He heard a cough next to him. "They get it imported off planet, unlike the rest of the Saiyan population." Raditz said.

"Wait…they don't even use the food we grow in the fields!" And elderly Saiyan said from the front, enraged that his work seemed to be nothing in the eyes of his king.

Tarble looked down at the man. "No, they don't even touch it. But for us this is a good thing. It means that it leaves them vulnerable." He then pulled a chip out of his pocket. "If we can get this ship into their computer network, it will disable them from speaking with the outside world. Which mean no food shipments."

A couple of children he recognized from the lab stepped forward. "We would be starving them out."

Shock seemed radiate throughout the room. It was Bardock that spoke up first. "How would we even get to the computer?"

"We'll need a diversion. One group of will head north of the city and start an attack on the power structures, this will cut off water to the city as well. While this is going on, a small group will break into the hanger bay and upload the virus."

"Why the hanger bay?" The woman from before asked.

"Because it's the only computer attached to the rest of the network." He was surprised as Parle came through the crowd. He nodded at her.

"Once both of those resources are down, the elites will start turning on each other or they will parish."

"But what about our supplies? What if they try something against us?" Another Saiyan asked.

Only for Raditz to answer. "We not only have those that know how to grow food, but we can also hunt. Water is also not a problem as this bunker is connected to an underground aquafer."

"Right and when they are at their lowest low." He crashed his hand down on a small desk. Just as he finished, he waited for their reactions. So far they looked, well scared.

Suddenly, the two Saiyans from the lab, Parle, and Raditz began to laugh. It was strangely intoxicating, as more children stepped forward. He himself also began to laugh.

Just out barely he could hear the words. "They're insane."

Only to hear another snap back. "No, they're Saiyans." He knew the voice, Bardock seemed very proud. The rest of the Saiyans were ready to know the truth. The smart kind weren't as weak as they thought. "Tell them Prince Tarble, how you killed the elite Nappa. Let it finally be known that you Saiyans with your minds, are not as weak as you appear."

He felt himself smirk, but he could fell many a presence behind him. It seemed that the other smart Saiyans had gathered behind him. The warriors around him look rather shocked. The fact that he had killed an elite must have been jarring. "It is true, while we are weak in body, we make up for it in our minds. Do to our intellect, we are far more creative with our kills. Nappa was basically melted alive in acid. His final screams were quite gratifying."

Bardock's eyes shifted to Raditz. "And what of you son?" He could tell that he want the world to know what Raditz had done. That his own son was capable of such acts.

Raditz stared only at his father. "Yes, I have done it as well."

"And who got that honor?" Bardock seemed to be getting prouder by the minute.

"A Frostian, Lord Frieza's sister." He said it without holding back. "I cut her open, then I pulled everything out." He was surprised Raditz was being so calm.

Apparently, Bardock didn't know that part of the story and looked a little taken back by it.

"But this isn't the issue at the moment. The plan is what is important. Now all in favor step forward!" Tarble said, trying to get the focus back where it belonged.

He didn't know how many would go with his plan, most would probably see it as stupid. But no. It seemed as if the entire room stepped forward.

Taken aback, he looked up at Raditz. The boy looked just as confused as he did.

He didn't move as the room started to empty out. Leaving only Raditz's parents behind.

"Dad, why did you bring all of that up?"

The man plopped his hand down on his son's head. "Because, it's about time they knew. Now that they know what you have done, they will follow your lead. Don't fear your accomplishments, embrace them."

So that was it. Now that the others knew of his actions, they would now follow his orders blindly, just like they would Vegeta.

"I just hope that brother returns before we have to resort to this, but it may be the only way to win this war."

"Vegeta will return. Even if it is after we have set the plan in motion. He will want to get his hands on your father. It's only a matter of time.

To Be Continued….

 _Author's Note_

 _Ducks behind couch to avoid angry energy blasts. Okay let me explain. In Dragon Ball Tien and Chiaotzu were training to become assassins before they met Goku. They weren't good people until after they befriended Goku, much like all of Goku's allies in the series. Remember this universe never had Goku coming to Earth as a baby, he was never around to stop Tien from becoming an assassin._

 _Okay, now that this is explained, what do you think of Tarble's plan? Is it too dark?_

 _Most of the chapters, for a while, will follow this formula of going back and forth between Earth and Planet Vegeta. Some may only be one planet, but most let us see what is happening during both wars._


	26. Chapter 26

For the second night in a row, he couldn't sleep. Kakarot had no problem passing out, the boy had taken out a battalion the day before so it was fitting.

He tossed one more time before leaving for a glass of water, he was a little hungry, but there had been no leftovers. A brief smile came to his face as he remembered their looks of shock as the others watched the two Saiyans eat. The human's seemed content with one plate each, but he and Kakarot ate everything and it still wasn't enough.

Just as he was about to walk into the kitchen, he heard a sniffling noise. He smelt the air, it was laden with moisture and salt. It was much different than the smell of sweat he had been addicted to earlier. This wasn't the smell of battle, this was the smell of sadness.

He wondered if he could get some water somewhere else, he didn't wish to deal with tears this night. Just as he was about to turn to find the bathroom, when heard a small moan, followed by the girl talking about that Yamcha fellow. She was still grieving his death.

Pain started to rack his chest. Not for the dead boy of course, but the fact that she was still crying for him. He was dead and gone and she had more important things to be doing. 'You just want all of her attention for yourself.' He tried pushing back that thought as it cut through his mind like a knife. He couldn't do this. She was a weakling. Sure, she had all of the things he was looking for in a mate. Intelligence, a stern hand, fearlessness, and a love for her planet, but he just couldn't. And with her crying over another, it just sealed the deal. She could never want him the same way she wanted that dead boy.

Rage began to fuel his every move. Without thinking he busted into the kitchen. Not giving her anytime to come up with an excuse for her tears.

Her eye fell upon him and he could see how red and swollen they were. She could barely speak. "What do you…sniff….want?"

He just found himself glaring at her as he stocked over the sink. "Don't flatter yourself. I just wanted some water." She didn't want him, there was no reason to waste his time on her.

She glared back at him. "Then why did you…do that?"

He didn't answer. She was supposed to be smart, if she couldn't figure it out that was her problem. Getting his water, he turned to leave.

"Just where do you think you're going?" She yelled back at him. "I asked you a question!"

He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of answers, she deserved to be left in the dark.

"Please….I don't want to be alone right now." He turned his face back to her and his anger started to melt away.

Not even thinking, he sat down next to her and she gave him a sad smile. "I'm not here to listen to you weep, girl."

She frowned. "I know…it's just odd that I'll never see him again. He promised me so much and now I don't know what to do after this is over."

"He shouldn't have made a promise if he couldn't deliver." He said, a smug look appearing on his face.

She slammed her fist on the table. "He would have if he had lived!"

"But he died. You can't keep holding on to what might have been. You have to move forward." He almost froze after he said it. It wasn't like he wanted her to move on to him or anything.

She looked down at her drink. "I wish none of this would have happened. I would still have my parents and Yamcha would still be alive."

"Yes, but you would you be as strong willed if they were still here?"

At that she gave him a strange look. "What do you mean?"

He gave her a small smirk. "Your experience has changed you. I have no doubt that you wouldn't have that spark in your eyes if none of this had ever happened."

She looked at him in shock. "Spark?"

He then realized he said too much. "So how are the plans going for the ship?"

She shook her head as if she was trying to forget what he just said. "I haven't started. I'm still working on your training room. I'll need more metal from the outside."

He nodded. "Then Kakarot and I will grab more the next time we are out there." He took a drink, only to discover that he was out of water.

She took his glass. "I can get you more, or do you want something else?"

He quirked his eyebrow at her in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

She giggled. "I have some tea left. Do you want some?"

Confusion wrapped his brain. "What is tea?"

"I guess you're going to find out. It may help you sleep." She said turning her back to him and grabbing a strange pot from one of the cupboards.

"I don't have trouble sleeping." He scoffed as she turned the stove on.

She let out a small laugh. "Then why are you up? You didn't sleep last night either, what is on your mind?"

* * *

Kakarot awoke to find Vegeta gone. He expected the prince to be out cold after the day they had, but no.

He jumped out of bed in search of the prince. His stomach growled a little. Vegeta said something about getting more food next hunt, which he completely agreed with.

He wasn't paying attention as he walked straight into someone's back. She let out a cry and he jumped back. Chichi was breathing hard when she turned to face him.

"Don't do that!" She almost screamed at him.

He put his hand behind his head. "I'm sorry. I was just looking for Vegeta, he wasn't in our room."

She gave him an odd look. "I was looking for Bulma."

That was odd, where the two together. "Maybe they are planning something. Bulma is making us a place to train."

She didn't look convinced. "I still don't know why you follow him. He's very rude."

He looked at her in anger. "And you people aren't. Remember that you used to call me by a name I didn't like."

She looked at him sadly. "I already told you I was sorry for that."

"It was still rude though. Also attacking him when you just met him was probably not the best way to treat him."

"He was mocking the power of Red Ribbon. My father died fighting them off. If was as if he was mocking my father." She said looking to the ground.

He felt his anger fade. "Come on, those two are somewhere." He took her hand and led her across the bunker.

As they neared the kitchen, he smelt the older Saiyan inside. He pointed to the door. Chichi almost laughed. "Did they want a midnight snack?"

They inched closer to the door as Bulma said something. "You didn't sleep last night either, what is on your mind?"

Vegeta made a scoffing noise as if to get her to shut up. "Nothing is wrong with me."

Bulma laughed. "You say that but it's all over your face. You're worried about Tarble."

Kakarot felt himself go cold. How much did Vegeta tell this girl?

"He's fine. Raditz is there to help him." He cringed hearing his brother's name.

"You've never really told me anything about this Raditz guy. What is he like?" Kakarot listened in, maybe Vegeta would tell her. He just wanted to know what had happened.

Chichi looked like she was going to open the door, but he stopped her. She looked back at him in confusion, but seemed to understand.

* * *

"Smart." He left it at that and Bulma gave him an annoyed look.

"That's it. You have a lot of trust in this guy and that's the only thing you say about him." She said as the strange pot began to hiss. She took it off the stove quickly and poured him a glass, along with one for herself.

"Raditz has his secrets. It is not my job to share them."

He hoped that she would stop with her questioning, but no she seemed more determined for an answer. "Okay then why do you trust him with Tarble? You said your brother is smart, so why does he need this Raditz guy?"

He sighed. "Because Raditz is smarter than Tarble is. I hate to admit it, but it's true. Tarble can only get work on projects in his own field. Raditz can do whatever field he wants."

She gave him a strange look. "But anyone can do that if given the right tools. How did Tarble learn compared to how Raditz learned?"

He looked off to the side embarrassed. "My father locked Tarble up for years, never letting him see the outside world. Raditz on the other hand was taking from home when he was five."

"Where was he taken?" Bulma said, taking a drink of her tea.

"Hell."

She looked confused. "What do you mean?"

He sighed again. "I can't tell you his secrets. I've already said too much."

She leaned over touching his hand. "I can keep a secret." She said giving him a sad smile.

Warmth spread through him. "Promise me, what I say doesn't leave this room."

"Vegeta, you have my word." She said looking him in the eye.

"Very well then, you have been warned. Raditz was taken by a woman who had a very strange hobby. Her brother was the head of a massive empire, the one I told you about. The one that made us commit mass genocides for them. Raditz was placed in Lady Zera's care and well she wasn't a nice person at all."

"You said something about a hobby? What kind of hobby did you have?"

He looked her straight in the eye. "Killing and torturing children." He watched Bulma's face go from sad to horrified. "Raditz was the only child to ever leave her home alive. Besides myself and Tarble. We weren't there that long though. Only a couple of days. Raditz lived there for years."

"How did…how did he survive?" She asked slightly shaking.

"He became Zera's favorite. She tortured him like the others, but she couldn't kill him. Over time she started to warp his mind, turning Raditz against the family he had back home. She wanted him to be dependent on her and her alone."

"Why?"

He felt sick to his stomach just thinking about what she had planned. "She was in love with him."

Bulma blinked a couple of times. "Love….how?"

"She wanted to make him to be just like her." He sighed. "And she almost succeeded. From time to time he relapses, even after he killed her. He has a need to take his anger out on others."

"Others? But I thought you said that you trust him with Tarble?"

"I do. Raditz will never hurt Tarble. If it weren't for Tarble, Raditz would have never killed Zera. He would have refused to leave her side. Raditz is loyal to me, but he will never leave Tarble's side. My brother reminded him of who he was, before the darkness clouded over his life. Raditz owns his life outside of that hellhole to Tarble, just as Tarble and I owe our lives to Raditz for letting us live."

Bulma looked confused. "I don't understand. How do you owe your life to him?"

He sighed. "I wasn't as strong then as I am now. Tarble and I were about to be tortured and killed by her. Raditz made a decision. He chose to save Tarble and myself over staying with her. He left behind everything she promised him, including the lies she fed him. Even if it is hard to believe, I think he still carries some feelings toward her. Not all of them are angry either."

She looked down at her cup in deep thought. "It sounds like he has stock home syndrome." He gave her a confused glare. "It's when someone starts to fall in love with the person that has them held hostage."

"So there's a name for it." He said thoughtfully.

"How long has it been since then?"

"3 years." He looked down at his drink, he had not touched it yet. So he downed the hot liquid in a rush, not caring if it burnt his tongue.

He felt her hand on his. "It's not your fault."

"But my father did nothing."

"Did your father know?"

He looked away. "No, he knew nothing, but we should have known. He didn't deserve for that to happen, he was only 5 when it started."

"But you did something. If you didn't do something, he would still be there with her."

"It should have never…" She silenced him in a way he wasn't expecting. Her lips had somehow ended up on his own. He was frozen in shock, not knowing what to do. He had never done this before.

She pulled away before he could respond. "Don't blame yourself for something that was out of your control." His tail flicked slightly and her eyes caught it. "What does that feel like?" She said changing the subject.

He felt his cheek go red, was she really asking him this question. "Do you want to feel it?" He cursed himself, this was strictly taboo, but she smelt good, he was already starting to feel dizzy.

She nodded and watched her hand move as he guided his tail down in front of her. She was gentle as she took in her hand. He gasped at the sensation. A fire was starting to burn in him as she rubbed her thumb up and down it. A purr began to rumble from his chest and she stopped to stare at him. At first he thought he saw fear, but now he could see something else begin to surface. She let his tail go and he felt himself lean across the table, she did the same. Their lips met again and this time he didn't lock up. He gave in to her. He knew now he couldn't run. She would be his there was no changing it. Her smell was hitting him. He needed her, he wouldn't be denied.

They parted, air was needed. Her eyes never leaving him. "Vegeta.." Had his name ever been said so lovingly?

That was it he pounced, taking her in his arms and pinning her against the wall. He kissed her again and she pulled him closer. His mouth left hers in order to go down her neck. She was gasping and panting under him, making him smirk. "What do you want, my love?" An almost primal voice chuckled. He wanted her to say it. If he was going to make her his, he want her to say it.

"I…"

The door burst open, Kakarot and Chichi were staring at them in shock.

"Vegeta! What are you doing?!" Kakarot yelled, he seemed rather angry.

Chichi just stood there and blushed.

He looked down, seeing the position they were in. Bulma was now blushing in embarrassment and he could fell his own cheek start to go red. He had let his instincts take over again. He gave over to his primal side without a thought. He cursed his actions. How could he do something so stupid?

He pulled away from her, removing his tail from her waist. He didn't remember putting it there. "Kakarot…."

"You know that letting someone touch your tail is a no-no." The boy chastised him and he couldn't say anything, Kakarot was right. He given into something he shouldn't have.

"Kakarot, you'll understand when your older." It was all he could say.

"But then why were you trying to eat Bulma!" Kakarot said, fear and anger in his voice.

Chichi laughed. "Kakarot, he wasn't trying to eat Bulma, he was kissing her."

Bulma blushed as she touched her lips while looking at him. "What was that smell?"

If he wasn't embarrassed enough already, now he had to explain this. "Musk. Our kind emit it when they are ready to…"

Bulma's face turned even redder. "So you wanted to…?"

He looked down, he just couldn't look at her. "Just don't touch my tail again." With that he turned back to Kakarot. "Come now, Kakarot. We need to hunt in the morning." And with that he stocked off, Kakarot following him in tow. He could feel her eyes digging into his back, but didn't turn. He had no idea what he would do if he did.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note

So things are getting a little interesting between Vegeta and Bulma. How is Kakarot going to react now that he knows Raditz's past? How much will Chichi tease Vegeta and Bulma with this new information?

Sorry but this is the only update I think we will have this week. I'm working on an essay for a college I'm trying to get into as well as some personal problems.


	27. Chapter 27

Vegeta had Kakarot keep himself away from Bulma over the next few weeks. He had to keep his distance. It was for the best.

Kakarot didn't question him, he only asked why he told Bulma about Raditz before he told him and he really didn't know how to answer that. All he could tell his young charge was that the girl made him weak and he wasn't going to fall for her tricks again.

After that Kakarot didn't seem too mad with him. Instead, he seemed wary of Bulma and wondered what powers she had.

Keeping his distance was hard as he could smell her from down the hall. That and he had to pass her in the halls every day, when he and Kakarot had to go to the surface to hunt, which usually meant running into Red Ribbon, which were no trouble at all to them.

They usually returned covered in blood and none of the humans questioned it.

The night before last he could have sworn that she was looking at him with longing when he returned, but he couldn't give in to such things. She couldn't be his. He already knew that.

On this evening though, she was nowhere to be seen when he returned. He looked about the room but there was no sign of her.

"So where did the girl go?" He asked without thinking.

To his surprise, the harpy in the corner looked frightened. "She went to the surface a couple of hours ago. She hasn't come back."

His heart stopped in his chest. Dread began to fill him. Not thinking he ran back to the ladder and was outside before Kakarot could even stop him.

He sniffed the air finding her scent, mixed with that of others. A low growl came from him as rage began to consume him.

Just as Kakarot, stuck his head outside of the bunker he was gone. The wild primal side of him was beyond angry and it only grew as her scent became stronger.

Some voices came to his ears. Her voice, her scream. Flying faster, he begin pooling energy in his hand. A snarl passed his lips as he saw them from overhead.

"Now Miss Briefs, you will cooperate or you will die." A portly, fat blonde man said stroking his beard.

He dared to threaten her. His mate. The snarl intensified. He dove down knocking several of the men over, firing a blast that tore more than one into pieces.

The blonde man backed away in fear as many of his comrades rushed forward. All meeting the same fate. The blood from their bodies splattered on his armor. Coating the white color in a dark shade of red, but he wasn't done.

His eyes found the blonde man. He had to pay. A small blast came behind him and he let out a roar as a small amount of pain hit him. As he turned to face his attacker, he let out a rumbled growl. The man that was holding the gun backed up, fear was etched into his features, much to his liking.

"Come on now. You fire a cowardly shot like that and expect me to die. What kind of fool are you?" He said calmly, to his surprise.

He heard a rumble from the sky, but ignored it as he walked up to the man, smelling as the man spoiled himself. Using his speed, he punched right through the man's gut, pulling out his still beating heart.

He dropped it to the ground and turned back, only for his own heart to stop.

The blonde idiot…he had a gun pulled to Bulma's head. He was going to kill her.

"Okay, listen here punk. You listen to me or the girl gets it." He wasn't listening to the man's words. All he could see was the panic in her eyes. "Hey, punk listen to me dammit!"

As he stared he realized who she was. He would never meet another girl like her in the entire universe. Fate brought him here for a reason, just as it ended the life of her previous suitor. She was the mate he was looking for. The mate he always wanted. No one could replace her. For the first time Prince Vegeta felt his heart beat for a different reason, he was in love. This wasn't lust. His primal side was forgotten.

A small cocking noise hit his ears, as the man's finger pulled lightly on the trigger, not firing the gun, but enough to get his attention.

He glared at the man. "What do you want of me?"

The man just laughed. "You will join Red Ribbon, I could use someone of your power."

"VEGETA NO!" She yelled out after him. Only to cry out in pain as the man kicked her in the stomach. She crouched down, only for him to kick her in the head, knocking her out.

As he watched his anger grew. The sky above him sending lightning down to the ground.

"Now where were we?" The man said, wiping some of her blood from his shoe.

Her blood. His loves blood. His head started pounding, as the wind started to pick up. A blast of lightning came down, crashing next to him.

The man looked around at the sky. "That's odd, it wasn't supposed to rain today."

He let out a roar as all of the rage he was feeling consumed him, a bolt of lightning coming down from the sky and engulfed him. Instead of pain, pure power began flooding through his veins. As the bolt left him, his body began to glow.

The man was staring at him in shock and was shaking, keeping the barrel of the gun at Bulma's head. He took a step forward and he could smell that the man had spoiled himself. His hand continued to shake.

With speed he didn't know he possessed he moved forward, knocking the gun not only out of the man's hand, but ripping his arm straight out of its socket. The man let out a strangled cry as he tried to hold his fallen limb.

"Why do you cry old man? This is your fate. Be glad that you died at my hand. You are among the first to fall at my feet." He said, mocking the man as he gathered some energy in his palm.

The man let out a sharp cry as he lifted his hand to his face and fired. The man's blood splattering on his face. He looked at the corpse in surprise, as it was just a pile of smoking bones.

He turned as he heard Bulma come to, stepping down and pulling her face up to look at him. He was shocked to see her confusion.

"What?" He asked, as she slid her hand up the side of his face, into his hair.

"Your…your hair…its different." She said confusing him. He helped her to her feet and she walked them over to a piece of scrap metal.

He looked down and felt in awe. His hair was a brilliant shade of yellow that was still glowing. Not only that but his black eyes were also gone, replaced with a shade of green or was it blue.

His face snapped back to her. This was it. The legend. He was a Super Saiyan. And it was all thanks to her.

He closed his eyes, allowing himself to relax. He felt the power leave him as he returned to his normal self. He opened his eyes finding her still watching him. A small smile came to his face as he leaned forward not caring that he was covered in blood. She didn't seem to mind as she met him in the middle.

His lips fell from hers and instead he found himself looking her in the eye. He would not mark her yet. He could control that urge now. "Let's go home."

"Yes." With that he scooped her up and flew up into the sky watching her reactions she held on to him. His own hold on her kept her close to him. Her eyes had a special light to them as they landed back at the bunker.

As they landed both Kakarot and Chichi were arguing out front.

"We have to find Bulma or we can't keep this place running!" Chichi yelled at his companion.

"But Bulma has a power over Vegeta. It makes him weak!" Kakarot argued back.

"Can you two stop your bickering? Everything is fine." Both sets of eyes looked up to him, holding Bulma in his arms, but he wasn't looking at them his eyes were looking only at her and it seemed she was doing the same.

He gave her a kiss before setting her down. Watching as she blushed. "Kakarot, I have done it."

"What did you do?!" Chichi's face was red as she looked over at her friend.

If possible Bulma turned redder. "We didn't do that!"

Kakarot gave him a confused look. "What?"

"He destroyed Red Ribbon. That guy was the leader." Bulma said letting out a small giggle.

Chichi's eyes filled with tears. "Really! They're gone."

"Not just that. I was able to unlock the Super Saiyan form." He said proudly.

"What! But I thought that it was impossible!" Kakarot stared up at him in awe.

"Yes, but I still need to learn how to control it." His eyes wondered back to Bulma. "Can you finish the training room for us?"

She gave him a smile that made his heart skip a beat. "Definitely. I can also start on the ship that you will need to get back home."

He took her hand. "You're coming too."

She seemed to stutter, overwhelmed by his words. "But Vegeta…I have to rebuild Earth, I…"

He cut her off, kissing her again. He found that he really liked kissing her. It was the closest he could get to her at the moment. It would be some years down the road before he could actually mate with her.

Both Kakarot and Chichi had had enough of their show and seemed to run off. Most likely disgusted with how they were acting. But he didn't care. At the moment, he had everything he could ever want. The power he was seeking was in his grasp and now he had his queen. Now all he needed to do was get stronger. Then he could stop his father and take his place as King. With Bulma at his side he would rule not only Planet Vegeta, but the entire galaxy would be theirs.

* * *

Kakarot huffed as he ran from his Prince's show of affection. It was weird to see Vegeta looking so…happy, sure the Prince would get excited but he rarely showed his emotions. It was just too weird. What had Bulma done to him?

At his side, Chichi was all red. "I can't believe those two. If they just want to suck face they could have just told us to leave."

He rolled his eyes. "I don't like this."

Chichi tilted her head at him. "What do you mean?"

He sighed. "Vegeta is just acting weird. He's never acted like this before."

Chichi giggled. "Kakarot, that's because Vegeta is in love with Bulma."

Now it was his turn to cock his head to the side. "Love?"

"You know love. When two people like each other." She answer with this almost dreamy air to her.

He still didn't understand. "Like friends?"

"No, it's not like friends. Well, it can be but it's not the same." She said in a huff.

"How is it different?" He said scratching his head.

She was steaming now. "Kakarot, when a boy and a girl like each other a lot they kiss."

So that was it. "Okay, now I get it." Not even thinking he walked up and kissed her. He felt her hands on his chest trying to push him way and he leaned back. "What?"

"Kakarot, what are you…?"

"I was kissing you. You said that when a boy is friends with a girl they kiss." He said confused with her angry look.

"No, Kakarot. You have to love them before you kiss them!" She said smacking him across the face. "I can't believe that you stole my first kiss!"

He rubbed his cheek, before grumbling. "But you said…"

"Forget what I said!" She screeched at him so loud that he was forced to cover his ears.

"What's going on?" Bulma and Vegeta had heard the noise and came to see what it was.

Chichi blushed. "Goku is being an idiot!"

"My name is Kakarot!" He yelled back at her.

"Chichi calm down, whatever Kakarot did can't be that bad." Bulma said trying to get the girl to calm down.

"Sure, side with him." And with that Chichi ran off into the forest.

He sighed. "What is her deal?"

"That depends, what did you do?" Bulma asked.

He didn't want to answer her, but considering the look that Vegeta was giving him, he would have to. "She was explaining to me what you two were doing, so I did that to her and now she's being a pain." He said crossing his arms.

"Goku, you idiot!" Bulma said smacking him as well.

"What did I do?" He said confused.

"You can't just kiss a girl." Bulma said aghast at his reaction.

"But Vegeta kisses you." He said still confused.

Bulma sighed. "Because I wanted him too. There is a difference Goku."

"But Chichi said it was something that people do when they like each other." He said still stumped.

Bulma seemed lost for words until Vegeta chuckled. "Kakaort, kissing is reserved for mates or would be mates. Your parents kiss each other, but have you ever seen them kiss anyone else?"

"No, but I've never seen them kiss either." He admitted.

Vegeta chuckled again. "That would be normal. Us Saiyans tend to more private about those things. If I was more careful you would have never known. Now, why don't you go after Chichi? You need to apologize."

He hung his head. "Fine." Before setting off into the night.

To Be Continued….

Author's Note

So Red Ribbon has been destroyed and Vegeta is a Super Saiyan now. Also looks like he got himself a girlfriend. Kakarot's not that good with dealing with the ladies, lol.

Don't forget to leave a review. It lets me know how I'm doing with this series.


	28. Chapter 28

He grumbled walking into the forest after Chichi. Really why did he have to go after her? She was the one that ran off and Vegeta of all people telling him to apologize to her, why? This was all just stupid.

As he jumped over a set of fallen logs, he let out a sigh, how far did she even run off? Or did she already go back to the bunker while he was running around in the dark trying to find someone that wasn't even there.

Walking through the patches of grass, he looked up at the sky. Was this what Raditz and Tarble got to see all of the time? Maybe if he didn't have a tail, he could see the night sky with his brother from time to time. Maybe then he could trust him. Even though it seemed like no one trusted him with anything. Sure, Vegeta wanted him to be his Captain, but he couldn't even tell him the truth before telling that Bulma girl.

Not only that, but he missed his parents. His mother's cooking was by far the best and his father was always praising him. Now all he was getting was complaints, it was turning into anything but his ideal situation.

He wondered how Raditz did it for all of those years, being away from home. His brother didn't have much of a choice, but now that he thought about it, neither did he. Vegeta made the decision for him. Was it too much for him to put in his own input? Now that he thought about it, he really didn't want to train in that room that Bulma was making either. He just wanted to train on his own terms.

"What are you thinking about?" He turned quickly in the darkness, finding the kind hearted old man looking up at the sky.

"I don't know." He didn't really want to talk to anyone right now.

"Come on, Goku. Come sit with me." The old man said calmly.

He looked down. "I would, but I have to find Chichi."

"She'll be fine. Red Ribbon is gone and I believe she went back to the bunker about an hour ago." Gohan said, pointing back toward the bunker.

"That little bitc…"

"Enough with that, come, sit. Tell me, what's on your mind." Gohan said looking back up at the sky.

Taking a deep breath, he walked over and plopped down next to the old man. "I just keep wondering why I'm here."

"You came to help Vegeta, did you not?" Gohan said still not looking at him.

"Yeah, but I…I didn't really have a choice. Everything happened so fast."

Gohan let out a sigh. "You miss your family. You may be a warrior, but you are still a child. As much as your kind may see that as a weakness, it is not. Love and kindness are never a weakness. If anything they can make you stronger than anger and cruelty ever will."

He looked up at the man deep in thought. "But how can you be kind to an enemy?"

"Goku, death isn't always an answer, nor is fighting. Sometimes just taking the time to listen to others can solve a conflict." Gohan said giving him a small smile.

"But what about Red Ribbon then?" He asked intrigued by the man's words.

"As I said sometimes. There are some that will of course want to see bloodshed, but a true man knows the difference. There are times to talk and times to fight. When talking doesn't work fighting is considered to be the next step, but even then there are ways around it."

"So if Red Ribbon wasn't so set on domination and killing people, then you could have talked them out of it?" He questioned.

"Maybe, if I could find some common ground. Kindness is usually seen as a weakness, but remember one show of kindness can change the course of the future. Say you save the life of a former enemy. He would be less likely to attack you when the next fight comes, or say you come across a common enemy. Your kindness will have given you an unlikely ally." Gohan explained.

He looked down. "But how can I tell the difference between someone that is really bad, someone that I have to kill or someone who I need to be kind to?"

"When the time comes you will know." Gohan said giving him a smile.

"But how can I know that, Vegeta always watches me. If I'm training with him, how can I even figure out this path?" He said, still not looking up.

Gohan let out a small laugh. "Vegeta is staying here, as are Bulma and Chichi. Roshi and I are going to be heading into the mountains. Would you like to join us?"

He couldn't believe it, for once someone was asking what he wanted to do. Maybe it would be for the best. He could train away from Vegeta for a little while. As Gohan said, he could find his own way. Instead of being Kakarot, the boy that listened to orders, he could be Goku, a fighter that followed his own path. "When would we leave?" He had already made up his mind.

"We were going to leave first thing in the morning, but seeing as Roshi needs to get back to his island and check on Turtle, he already left."

"Turtle?" He tilted his head to the side, what was a turtle?

"Oh, I forget that you're not from here. A turtle is a reptile, usually found in water. It has a hard shell on its back." The man explained.

"So it's like an animal with armor?" He said, happy to see the man nod at him for getting it. "How am I going to tell Vegeta that I'm going off to train?"

"If he is your friend, he will understand." Gohan said.

Now that was something he was unsure of. He didn't even know if Vegeta even saw him as a friend, his brother and Tarble that's how friends were supposed to act. Heck, his brother seemed to be more of a friend to Vegeta than he was. "But what if he isn't my friend?" He said sadly, more to himself than Gohan.

"Then he will still have to live with your decision. He may be a Prince, but this is your life Goku." Gohan said it rougher that he thought the man capable. He always came across as gentle and soft spoken, so this was new. But Gohan was right, the sage seemed to know what he needed to hear. "So Kakarot what is your decision?"

He looked in shock at the old man. "I thought you couldn't say my name?"

"I can, but it's a mouthful. Besides, I feel like the name Goku suits you more." The old man said standing up. "So what have you decided then?"

He looked up. "I think that I want to leave with you tomorrow."

The man gave him a small smile. "Good. Roshi and I will be glad to have you, Goku."

* * *

It was the night before the raid and all was silent. Tarble was still going over different ways of entering the city and they were debating having their tails removed. The idea was scrapped though, mainly due to the elites having that over the rest of them. If an attack at night happened, it wouldn't matter. The elites would change over.

Raditz sat and looked over the plans one more time. Wondering how those in the city would fair after the food supply started to diminish. Not that he was against Tarble's plan, but there were many Saiyans that really didn't deserve the pain that Tarble was about to inflict on them. Like Onna. If the elites were to stave, she wouldn't be given anything and with her condition, he couldn't see her getting any of her medication either. Her mind would also be useless to them. They wouldn't give her any scrap of food if they could manage. Just the thought of her in pain had him on edge.

"Raditz?" His mother peeked her head through the door. She gave him a smile before pointing to the lunch she had made. He motioned her in and watched as she placed the container down next to him, but he didn't say anything. "Is there anything on your mind?" She asked.

He shook his head, nothing she could say would be able to ease his mind.

She gave him a sad smile. "Does it have to do with a certain girl?"

He couldn't stop himself from blushing. His mother's sad smile became a grin.

"I can see it all over your face." She sat down next to him. "I remember when I was around your age, I started eyeing your father slightly before that. He was so cocky then and I pretty much being the naïve girl that I was believed everything he said. And I wasn't the only girl looking him over either."

Now that was something his father had never mentioned. "What?"

His mother laughed. "Yes, you know Toma's wife, Broca. She also had her sights set on your father."

"Really? But then how did father decide?" He asked.

"Your father and Toma both went into their scent phase around the same time. Soon after, your father may have "accidently" ran into me." She giggled.

Now he was really interested. "You figured out when they were going to go into rut and decided to show yourself. What if Toma smelled you?"

She laughed. "Well son, he did. They both ran at men like wild animals, until they realized what the other was doing. Then they tried to rip each other's faces off."

"Mom, you were playing with fire!" He said in shock. "But how the hell did you figure out when it would happen?"

She giggled. "Oh come on Raditz, you don't think that you got that brain from your genes alone."

"Wait…you understand most of what I say then?" He said again rather shocked.

"No, not all of it, but I pick up on it faster than your father and brother do. Anyway, I just calculated the day of your father's first kill with the 48th moon cycle. Most of the time, males go into their scent phase about four years after their first kill. Most males have their first kill around 10 so 14 is kind of normal. You had your first kill around 9 so that's why you started the phase a little early."

"So that explains it." But then a question came to mind. "But mom, didn't Prince Vegeta get his first kill at 6, shouldn't he have gone into his scent phase when he was 10?" He asked.

His mother laughed. "Think about it Raditz, how many females did you ever see interact with the Prince?"

Now that was a good question, for the most part Vegeta always kept his distance, but that was kind of a given considering that a majority of the females would have wanted his attention. "So that's why he always stayed away from the schooling centers."

"That or he doesn't realize it yet. If he hasn't come across a smell that he favors then he may just be immune to others. Especially if he's reached that stage in his development. He may have more control over his actions as he's grown into it, unlike you who is just starting to understand it. If that makes any sense."

He nodded. "Okay then, but what happened with you, dad, and Toma?"

"Well I think you can guess who won the fight between them. Your father wanted to mark me so bad, but my father realized what I was doing and he was so pissed with me. At least he looked pissed in front of the others. For the most part, he was proud that I had snagged the strongest male from the third class. After that, his father came to my father and they agreed to let us mate in a couple of years." She said almost giddy.

"So you tricked Dad into mating with you?" This was starting to sound less romantic and more stalker like by the minute.

"No, your father was pretty mad when we finally came face to face after that phase had slowed down. I tried to explain myself. I wasn't the best fighter, but I was smarter than most. I could cook well, which your father liked and after another year, I fell in love with him and he fell for me and about a year after we mated you were born." She said with a satisfied smile on her face. "Remember Raditz, I came from a fourth class family, your father was third class so he was above me. I couldn't give your father much, but in the end that didn't matter. Your father chose me in the end. He could have changed his mind, but he didn't"

"I thought that you couldn't change your mind?" He said, interested in her every word.

"A male can if they want and Broca did have more to offer him, but your father stuck with me."

"Well that is easy to figure out." His father had come in covered head to toe in dirt.

"What have you been doing?" His mother asked, before taking the napkin from his lunch and trying to wipe his father's face.

"Digging out a new section of the bunker. Tarble said something about enlarging it, but that's not important. You two seem to be talking about me, why?" His father had a playful smirk on his face, which was unusual.

"I was just telling our son about how I kind of tricked you when we were younger." His mother laughed.

He was surprised when his father laughed with her. "Yeah, well you cook better than most women do, that and you did go out of your way to get my attention. Going as far as to run into a room with not one but two crazed males. So you kind of impressed me before I even knew your name."

"So how does this help me?" Raditz asked before his parents ran off, by the way they were looking at each other, he could have sworn that they were going to go at it.

"You worry about her, even though you can't smell her. So I don't think that it is just a physical attraction." His mother said with more excitement then he liked.

"But that's the thing. If we go through with this plan then she may die. I don't see them taking care of her with her condition." He said, not looking at either of his parents.

"Then why not have a group go after her?" His father asked.

He looked up at his father trying to weigh that option in his head. "Because that would require more looking around the city and while I may be crafty. I can't justify bringing her back here. That would be a conflict of interest."

"Not if you just check on her through the computer database." His mother said. "If you go with Tarble, you can check where she is and then let Tarble install the chip."

Now that wasn't a bad idea, he almost jumped up from his chair and out of the room, but then peeked his head back in to look at his parents. "Just promise me that you won't give me another sibling during his war. That's the last thing we should be focusing on."

And with that he was running down the hall, off to ask Tarble an important question. If Tarble refused, he could live with that as well. It all had to do with timing issues.

As he reached the door to Tarble's room, he gave it a light knock and was surprised to see Gure open it. Tarble had all kinds of attack plans around him and it seemed that she was helping him.

Tarble gave him a small smirk from his seat. "Everything is set for tomorrow. The stage will be set for my brother's return while the elites try and fail to find us."

"About that, I'm requesting that I go with you." He didn't really know if Tarble would allow this. It would give him a better peace of mind though.

Tarble gave him a confused look. "I thought you were going to stay here and start working on a way to make the plants for our food grow faster."

"I plan on doing that, but you see." He looked down at his feet. He knew that his was selfish. "I just wanted to check the computer to see how Onna was doing before you crashed it."

Tarble looked at him a couple of times blinking to himself. He readied himself for the barrage of insults that were bound to come his way.

"I think it will be fine." Gure's voice came from behind him. "We need to check what was sent off planet anyway after the riot broke out."

He looked back to Tarble to see that while he wasn't too happy with the request, he wasn't going to argue against it.

"Normally, I wouldn't be asking this." He said to his friend.

Tarble crossed his arms. "I know, it's just strange seeing you this way. I used to be the only one you would really talk to. Now you just seem to have her on your mind."

"Trust me, someday you'll go through this and believe me I wish I could control it. It's just that her health is a factor."

With that Tarble's expression lightened up a bit. "Yes. I know."

"If it wasn't for that I wouldn't be on edge. My family asked if I would request her to be taken, but just a simple check will suffice."

"Don't worry about that. It will take no time to find out where she is and how she is doing. You don't even need to come. I'll remember it. Besides, I need you here."

He nodded. "I understand. I know that it is selfish to ask."

"But you can't help it, you like her." Gure said giggling.

"I do have to ask." Tarble started. "Why her? There are smarter girls then her."

He sighed, it was far more complicated than his friend could understand. "I don't know. It just happened that way."

"Raditz, why don't you describe what you see when you see her?" Gure said, taking a seat down next to Tarble. Suddenly, he could see what the Tech-Tech had in mind. It looked like she had developed a crush on his friend and wasn't moving a muscle away from him.

He looked away. "When I see her, I see myself. I used to be seen as useless and weak. I was once kind and naïve just like she is. Her mind seems only to be fueled by pure thoughts, even when it comes to me. She didn't judge me for my past, instead she embraced it." The more he spoke, the more he realized that it was much more than a smell. How much of her did he notice before he went into puberty? How much time had he spent talking to her every day? Even when she was clumsy around him, he noticed. She tried more than anyone else he had ever known.

What was once seen as an annoyance was now a fond memory. One that towered over the darkness of his past.

"Raditz?" Both of them called his name, braking up his thoughts.

"Sorry. I really hope that this stage passes soon. Then I can start to think normally again."

Tarble let out a chuckle. "Like you have ever thought like a normal Saiyan. Once we get the info that we need. I'll look up her condition before destroying the mainframe."

Now it was his turn to give his friend a smirk. "So how long do you think it will be before it starts to affect them?"

Tarble let out an evil chuckle. "I give them two weeks if they don't have supplies and two months if they do."

"So we should be preparing body bags then." He said.

"Most definitely."

To Be Continued…

 _Author's Note_

 _Woo, that was a dousy of a chapter. First we have Kakarot deciding to leave Vegeta to do his own training. I wonder how Vegeta is going to take that news. Then we get a little back story with Bardock and Gine. And now Tarble is starting to become more power hungry. I kind of wonder how Vegeta is going to react to this Tarble when he returns as cute little Tarble seems to have run off and this darker one has now taken the reigns._


	29. Chapter 29

He kept quiet as he crept around the bunker, trying not to wake anyone else. As he got closer to the opening, he felt a twinge of nervousness and excitement, all of his planning, all of his stress, blood, sweat, and tears over the last month had been leading up to this.

The hatch opened with ease and he was immediately faced with darkness. The sky was filled with stars, as the moon made its way down, almost out of sight from the planet's surface. He turned his face towards the east. A small glint of light could barely be seen, the sun was starting its assent up. He turned and found an abandoned log. It would do for now.

He sat down and watched in silence, as dawn came upon him. He barely heard the soft sound of being followed. He didn't even give her a glance as she sat down next to him. Her presence was no longer seen as annoying, rather she kept him calm. It seemed as if his nervousness disappeared when she was around.

"Are you ready for this?" She said, not looking at him, just staring at the sky and watching the sunrise.

He smirked to himself as he rested his hand against hers. He felt her jump slightly, but that didn't matter. He wasn't an idiot, her interest started to catch his eye around a week ago, that and she was useful. He should reward her for her help after all.

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and watched as a mixed bag of emotions crossed her face. Some looked happy, but others looked slightly perturbed.

"You look concerned. Is there something wrong?" He asked, not really caring, but wondering why she wasn't happier with her prize.

Her face turned and her eyes found his. "I worry about my people. Your father will probably use them as shields."

He cocked his head to the side. "What?"

She sighed. "When the real fighting begins, my people will most likely be sent out first. They will be used to use up the energy on our fighters before the real fight can begin."

He looked away. "Your kind are not made for the battlefield. They will perish either in battle or they will meet a more gruesome end." She gave him a frightened look, but he would not lie to her. "With the absence of food, the elites and my father will turn a blind eye and consume what they can to survive. It won't matter that they are innocent. All lives will be far game. I wouldn't put cannibalism passed them."

His face turned back to watch her face plunge into deep shock. "But that..that's"

"What else will they do with their dead when the time comes? Better to survive than to die when a food source is available." He said with utter certainty.

Her shock became disgust. "It's better to die than become a monster!"

"Better to live another day as a monster than to die for nothing." He said calmly. She looked away from him, sadness still edged into her face. He sighed. "I refuse to die. My people will refuse to die. If given a way to survive we will, no matter what the cost."

She nodded, still not looking at him.

"Now come on, we need to get ready."

* * *

Kakarot tossed and turned most of the night, watching the Saiyan Prince sleep soundly. He wondered if he would have a problem after he left. So much so that he jumped out of bed a whole hour before he knew that the prince would rise.

He made his way to the kitchen. No one was up yet, which was fine with him. He didn't mind this time to himself.

As he reached the fridge, he heard a slight rustle. Only to find Gohan putting his things together. It didn't look like much, just a small pack. He guessed that it had some clothes and a couple of knick-knacks.

Gohan didn't even turn around. "Are you excited about our trip?"

He still didn't know what to feel. Was he excited to be training or nervous over Vegeta's reaction, either emotion was vying for the top spot in his mind.

"You don't need to be so uneasy." Gohan said, with his back still turned to him. The man was placing some odd looking orange thing into his bag.

"How can you?" He started, startled to have himself exposed so easily.

"Your fears, they echo through your ki. Your every being is on edge, when there really isn't any reason to be. Calm yourself, it's the first step to concurring your fears and overcoming your faults." Gohan said, still riffling through his things.

Gohan made it sound so easy. Like he could just be calm in an instant, but it just wasn't that easy.

Just as he was about to say something, Vegeta appeared behind him, looking rather smug. "Heading out old man?"

Gohan nodded, but didn't turn back to face him.

"Bulma said you would be leaving. The old pervert is gone as well. When did he run off?" Vegeta looked suspiciously at the old man.

"He left last night. Had to get back to his island. There, that seems to be everything." Gohan threw the backpack onto his back and waited.

Vegeta looked at him confused, his eyebrow quirking up. "What are you waiting for? Did you want to speak with Bulma or the harpy girl? They're probably still asleep."

Gohan remained quiet, Kakarot knew what he wanted. He was the one that needed to say it.

"Vegeta." He looked down at the floor as the princes gaze fell on him.

"Kakarot, I'm trying to talk with the old man, wait your turn."

Vegeta turned his gaze back on Gohan, but he had had enough. "I'm going with Gohan." He said as he lifted his head up.

Vegeta's gaze turned back to him confused. "What are you talking about? Bulma is making a machine for us to train, there is no time for foolishness right now."

"You can train in there. I'm going with Gohan." He said a lot firmer then he thought he could.

Vegeta looked flabbergasted. "Kakarot, we will talk about this later."

"No, I'm doing this now. You have the power you need, can't I just do something for myself…for once." He didn't mean for the sadness to creep into his voice, but it did. "Raditz, my parent, and you have held my hand for far too long. Its time I did this for myself."

Vegeta looked angry, but then turned his back to him. "Do what you want, but don't expect me to come crawling after you. If you are not back in time for the ship to leave, I will leave you here."

He knew it was a threat, but it wasn't that much of a deterrent. "I understand."

He watched Vegeta's body stiffen. The other had expected him to cave. The prince said nothing more as he turned and faced Gohan.

"Are you ready, Goku?" The man gave him a gentle smile.

"Yes, but I don't have anything to pack." He said walking forward.

"Don't worry about it. There will be plenty of supplies where we are going." They headed to the exit of the bunker, he could feel the prince's eyes on his back as he made his way up the exit. "Don't worry about him, Vegeta. He has much to learn and this is the only way."

The prince grumbled. "Just make sure that he is back on time and what do you mean the only wa…?"

But Gohan shut the hatch before Vegeta could finish his sentence. Kakarot gave him a questioning glance. As the man made to whistle.

"Gohan, what are you doing?" He asked.

Just then a small cloud came down from the sky. "You can fly right? I think this while let us travel faster." The old man said jumping on the cloud and watching it climb into the sky before heading off towards the mountains.

He didn't question the old man, flying off after him.

* * *

They were gathered together. It was time to set their plan into motion. Tarble had organized them into 3 groups. One that would take out the water supply, one that would cause a distraction, and one that would put the chip into place. He would be in the latter. He had also placed a captain to be in charge of each team.

Raditz's father Bardock had volunteered for the attack team, much to the discomfort of his wife and son, but he would not deny the man. They needed all hands to do their part and Bardock was a fighter.

Raditz himself was to be stationed back at the bunker. Not only to start on a new project but to keep tabs on their movements, also just in case something went wrong. Parle was in charge of their radio transmissions, as the night before she unveiled some new scouters which used a lower frequency. They were lighter than the old scouters were and there was less to them. Instead of a small poly glass screen, it relayed a hologram, which was far safer.

As he looked over at a screen, he knew it was time. He gave the two other teams a nod and watched as they flew off.

He signaled to his own team and gave a nod to those back left behind. He was scooped up into the arms of a strange Saiyan who was balding and they were gone. The bunker and his home over the last month fading in the distance.

But he had no time to think about that. The chip was enclosed in a small metal box in his pocket. They didn't have that far of a fly to the former hub of a city. Even from this far away, he could see the devastation of his former home. Many of the homes had been blasted open, most likely from the second and third class Saiyans that had sided with his father. They were probably given nothing for their loyalty and now were forced to scavenge like animals.

Just as he predicted the streets were barren, most likely due to the fact that they were fighting the oncoming attack. Not that it would do them any good. He let out a chuckle at the thought.

Ahead, he could barely make out the main hanger. It looked deserted. He gave his team the signal and they slowly made their descent. Being careful just in case.

As they reached the ground, he took another look around them. Checking for any signs of life.

The hanger looked pretty dirty at the moment. That was probably due to the lack of people in the area. Looking over some of the platforms, he noticed that a couple of ships must have just finished a drop off. He smirked to himself. This meant that it the elites would go another month before they ran out of food. Then the real waiting war could begin.

He walked forward at a brisk pace. Getting over to the main computer. He had already promised Raditz that he would check on his little girlfriend, so he started navigating the computer that he had used so many times in the past. Nothing had changed, no one had thought to go through the system at all. Heck the mainframe password was the same thing that his brother picked out years ago. Typing in the word "pride" unlocked everything, giving him the information of his enemy at his fingertips. He would have to make the system stronger in the future. Next time, he would pick the password.

Finding information on Onna wasn't that hard, her father's name was at the top of the data files, much like all elites.

He scanned the page and a small smile came to his lips. He would remember this information for later. Raditz had no need to fear anything. Her father had left the planet before the start of the war, taking his entire family. They had not returned either. He guessed that they were looking for a heart on the black market then. Not the best place to look, but if it worked it would put his friend at ease.

Next, he took the chip from his pocket, as he knelt down. He had to install it right into the mainframe. Good thing he brought some tools. He removed the network of screws and found the wires all tangled in a mess. Much to his delight, he was able to weave around the wires to the port he needed. As soon as it was installed. He backed away.

"The system should restart in about an hour. After that it will crash the entire network, putting an end with all communications to the outside world." He said reattaching the side panel.

The others gave him a quick nod, as they began towards the exit. If anything this had gone well….too well….

A couple of his group started celebrating, giving each other fist bumps and high fives.

"Do not lower your guard. This went far too easy to be celebrating." He warned the others.

As they reached the door, he froze. This smell. He knew it. Sulfur. Someone had set of a bomb or was going to set off one.

"Get down!" He fell to his feet as the loud crash came over them. The world around him faded in and out. Everything going black, as the blast took out his hearing, making it go in and out. With a final look up, he saw an outline. A cropping of hair that looked so familiar that he could not mistake it for anyone else.

"Well, well, well, I'm rather impressed with you. But I hate to say it son, playtime is over."

To Be Continued….

 _Author's Note_

 _Runs under a desk to hide from angry fangirls. Please don't kill me, Tarble is not dead. He's just been captured by his father. If this happened to Tarble, I wonder what happened to the rest of the teams. Also it looks like Vegeta and Kakarot are on edge with each other on earth. That and Kakarot is about to start his training, as is Vegeta._

 _So what will happen next? Will Kakarot master what Gohan and Roshi want to teach him? Is Bardock's team okay? Will Vegeta learn to control the Super Saiyan power now that he has it? Will Raditz be able to lead the resistance in Tarble's absence? Will Tarble escape his father's clutches? Will I ever shut up?_

 _I guess you'll have to read to find out. Don't forget to leave a review and give me some feedback._


	30. Chapter 30

They landed in a strange patch of trees and boulders. Gohan seemed rather happy, is this where he lived?

"We are almost there. Roshi will be here shortly as well." Gohan said, excited for the days ahead.

He smiled as he walked forward. What would they have him do? He was already great at throwing punches and kicks, heck he knew a lot of different energy attacks. He knew that a lot of this would be training for his state of mind, but he wanted to get some action while he was learning. "So what am I going to learn first?"

"I believe learning how to see Ki will be essential. We will work on training your mind here more than your body. Once you start to understand how to sense Ki, you can use it to your advantage." Gohan said deep in thought.

"But how do I learn that?" He said confused. It sounded that this training would include a lot of standing around.

Gohan chuckled. "When we get there, I'll explain it, but until then why don't you tell me more about you. What I know comes from your Ki."

"But I have told you about myself. When I landed…" He started.

"No, you told us about Saiyans and Vegeta. All I got about you was your name."

He crossed his arms. "Which you don't bother to use."

"I'm sorry, but you seem like a far gentler soul than your prince. You wish to help rather than just kill. You were ashamed at your actions when you turned into that giant monkey, when I believe that others of your kind would not. That's why I thought a more human name would benefit you. Kakarot sounds harsh, wild, and strict. Goku sounds carefree, tame, and peaceful."

He never really thought about that before. He was named after his great grandfather on his father's side. The man was considered a tyrant for the most part. "I can see that." He said looking down.

"So, what should I know about you? Do you have a family, if so, what are they like?" Gohan said with his ever present gentle smile plastered on his face.

"Well, my dad is awesome, he's a fighter in our army. He goes away on a lot of combat missions, so he's not around that much, but when he is home he gives me a lot of attention. He's always up for sparing with me and he always praises me because I was born strong." He said a smile coming to his face. "My mother has to be the best cook in the entire galaxy. She's always telling both my brother and I to do our best." For some reason, he felt like his eyes were about to start burning, but he continued. "Then there is my brother Raditz, he doesn't fight. Instead he was born smart. He wasn't home for four years and both mom and dad were sad. Before he returned my parents kept an eye on me as if I would disappear forever. They followed me everywhere and they didn't trust anyone with me." He felt something fall from his eyes, this was new. "When Raditz came back, everyone was happy. I started training with Vegeta and Raditz started working for the planet. I thought that Raditz would hate me, because I was born strong and he was born weak, but….he doesn't. After everything that happened to him, I….I thought he would…" He couldn't take it. He missed his family. His mother's hugs, his father approving smirk, and his brother ruffling his hair.

He expected Gohan to mock him, as the tears started to drain down his face. But the man didn't, instead he gave a small frown. "It sounds like you miss them."

He nodded, not really able to speak. And it wasn't that he was just missing them. He was worried about them. What if they were killed before they returned? The last thing his family did was argue with Raditz, at least from what he remembered.

"You seem worried, your Ki is very sad right now. Is there something more to this training than just getting stronger?" Gohan asked, searching for an answer.

"War." He said through his sniffles.

Gohan's sadness became seriousness, as he came over and picked him up into a hug. He was startled by the man's reaction. People just didn't hug others, it was weird. "It may seem dark now, but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. You feel sad and that is normal. Worrying is normal, letting out your emotions is normal. Don't hold back on your feelings. Never lock them away inside you. They may seem small, but as you know now, they can create the greatest of wounds."

He nodded into the man's side, why did he hold all of this in? If he knew it would hurt this much, he would have taken care of it ages ago. "How do I…sniff…fix it?" He stuttered, wiping his nose against the man's shirt.

Instead of being disgusted, Gohan let out a soft chuckle. "What you're doing now is fine. But never stay quiet again. Tell people how you feel about what they are doing and how you are feeling. Having a voice doesn't make you weak."

His voice was beginning to clear, as he started to calm down. "But what they get mad at…"

"That doesn't matter. It's about how you feel. Your voice is important Goku, never forget that." Gohan said, putting his fears at ease.

He didn't understand how this human could tell his feelings, but he was glad he did. He was already feeling better. He felt more at ease and less stressed. He knew now that this was the correct decision. Gohan wasn't going to turn him down the wrong path, he was guiding him to his future.

* * *

He watched as the two of the team returned, some were more worn than others. He found his father in seconds, noting a gash on his right arm.

"You should get to the medical wing." He said, noting his father's look of anger, something was wrong.

"We were able to distract them, but they stopped following us about 3 miles out of the city." Bardock reported, clearly his father was still in fight mode.

He looked up to find Toma coming through the crowd. He had been in charge of the team that were supposed to destroy the piping system.

"What do you have to report?" He asked, noting the man's injuries. Something had happened and he didn't like the look of it.

"Multiple teams of elites were at the pass when we arrived. We weren't able to get even close to the piping." Toma growled at his failure.

Now this was news. "They caught wind of our intentions. Where is Tarble, has he returned?"

"No, his team is this gone and the scouters are not working!" A bulky female Saiyan said from behind his father.

Gure came crashing over towards him. "We have a problem. Tarble has been captured."

He watched her carefully. "How do you know that?"

She blushed. "I….I was listening in to his scouter. I heard King Vegeta on the other end."

This was bad, really bad. "Don't worry, he won't kill him."

The Tech-Tech was still a mess. "How do you know that?!"

"King Vegeta still needs an heir. If anything he is going to do everything in his power to try and turn Tarble against Prince Vegeta." He looked around the hanger bay. Something was not right. Someone amongst them was a traitor. It had to be someone close to Tarble, who knew how the entire operation was going to flow. His eyes grew wide. He could only think of one person. "Gure, hand me your scouter."

She gave him a panicked look, "What about it? Is something wrong?" She handed it over, worry all over her face.

He took the scouter, opening it on the side. There amongst the wire was the mark of their betrayal. He let out a low growl. His anger took over him as he crushed the scouter in his hand, not even thinking about it.

A door slide open and his suspect walked through the door. Parle had a smile on her face as she walked over to some of the returning Saiyans. She was already starting to work on their broken armor.

Still holding the broken scouter, he walked over to her slowly. It felt like a filter of red was going over his vision. His ears were pounding and his head was starting to ache, but he didn't feel any pain.

She turned to him in surprise and gave him a funny look. "Raditz, what seems to be the problem?" She gave him a warm smile.

One thought started going through his head, as he dropped the scouter in front of her. He watched as her warm smile became a look of fear and panic. "Care to tell me the truth?" His voice didn't sound like it usually did. Instead coming out in a far more menacing way.

She put her hands up to shield herself from him, but he didn't touch her. He would not dare to touch a traitor like herself. She didn't speak, instead she let out terrified squeaks as she tried to back away from him.

He didn't notice a crowd forming, all he could focus on was his target.

She stopped, there was a wall. She looked around giving him a horrified glance. As he looked in her eyes, thousands of words hit his mind, piecing together the story of her betrayal.

He let out a chuckle. "So Parle, how is Cuw doing?"

She blushed as she stared at him in shock. "How do you know about..?"

"He asked you to do this? You want to be his wife, don't you?" He knew it looked like he was looking down at her, but instead it was like he was seeing her actions for himself. Her and Cuw talking in the lab. Cuw flirting with her like he did with every female. Cuw giving her a kiss. Cuw making contact with her the night before and promising to make her his. It fit together surprisingly well.

He looked away from her, "Tarble was ready to give you everything, he trusted you far more than you deserve. You put the lives of everyone here in danger because of your own selfish need to be with a boy who will never be able to give you what you want." He looked back at her, this time hearing the room erupt in growls and snarls. The crowd behind him was pissed, they wanted to rip her to shreds. He could see it, not in front of him of course. But in his mind it felt like fifty or more scenarios started playing over and over in his head. All under the same red filter.

He held up a hand. The noise stopped, his eyes fell on her, tears staining her face. "Please…I'm sorry, I didn't mean any harm…I.."

"Quiet! Stupid girl, do you have any idea what you have done?! All for your precious Cuw! You have given over our leader to the enemy!"

"What about Onna?! Would you do it for her?" This girl knew of his weakness, but he would not be deterred.

"Onna would never ask me to do that!" He almost roared.

"So you would let her die under Tarble's plan? Even though she is an innocent!" She screamed back at him, trying any route to save herself from this mess, but her mind betrayed her. Cuw gave her the answer he needed.

He snarled. "Cuw is no innocent. As for Onna, she is out of harm's way." He almost smirked to himself at the information that he was given. Onna was off planet, there was no reason to fear her death. But at the moment he had other things he need to focus on, things that needed to be disposed. "This is a war, Parle. It's not a game. You can't restart. There are no extra lives."

She shrank back again in fear. "But…"

"So where is Tarble? You should have a good idea, if you have been speaking with Cuw." He said irritably, a growl on his lips.

She looked away. She was trying to hide her thoughts again and his mind flashed back to her thoughts. She was speaking to King Vegeta. One sentence, all he had to hear was one sentence. The words came and his anger spiked.

It all happened so fast, he came forward, but he didn't hit her. Instead, he placed his hand on the top of her head. She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face as the filter over his eyes grew darker. He watched as her eyes rolled back into her head. Her memories flashing behind his eyes as he let out roar after roar in pure rage. Under him she was letting out the most horrific cries. But his voice carried over all of it. "YOU BETRAYED HIM! YOU BETRAYED MY BEST FRIEND! YOU NEVER DESERVED HIS TRUST!"

Images of Tarble entered his mind, through hers. "DON'T YOU DARE TO EVEN THINK ABOUT HIM, YOU BITCH!" He roared.

She was shaking violently, the filter over his eyes was getting darker and darker. Her thoughts were starting to become a jarring mess. He felt something against his arm, but he held firm on her head as she twisted outside of the world of his vision. The red faded into black as he felt the body below him stop moving.

A cloud of white paraded his vision, until the world came back into focus. The red hue was gone, leaving nothing but a corpse in front of him. She looked calm in death, only a single long trail of blood came from one of her ears.

He tried to remember what had taken over him but he couldn't figure it out.

As he turned around to give the orders to clean up the body, he was met with stares of shock and awe. Even his own parents looked petrified.

"Clean up this trash." He ordered and two older Saiyans didn't even take time to question him.

He spotted Gure in the crowd. Unlike the others, she looked impressed. "So where did you learn how to do that?"

The crowd was dissipating, leaving his father and mother there, both speechless. "I don't know. My anger took over me."

"How did learn about her betrayal?" She said confused. "It sounded like you could read her mind or something."

"There was a chip in the scouters. They could hear our entire operation. Thankfully, she didn't tell them our location." He sighed. "As for reading her mind, it was strange, I could see what she was thinking." He answered.

Her face became worried. "Did you find out anything about where Tarble is being held?"

He growled to himself. "I know the place and we must hurry. If we wait too long Tarble may be lost to not only us, but Vegeta forever."

To Be Continued….

 _Author's Note_

 _Here we are at 30 chapters and we are only about half way to the end, so yes this series will end around 50-60 chapters. I still haven't decided if I will make a sequel to this or not. Depends on where the story goes and end, which I'm not telling, lol_

 _So what do you think about Raditz's new ability? How will Kakarot's training with Gohan go? Will Vegeta learn how to control his Super Saiyan form? What does King Vegeta have in store for Tarble?_


	31. Chapter 31

His eyes opened and the world started coming into focus. Beige. He hated that color, bring surrounded by it only brought up horrible memories.

As he looked around his surrounding, his stomach dropped. The realization that he was still alive and captured seemed meniscal. This place, of all the places for his father to keep him prisoner, he picked this place. Panic started to settle in, as the walls seemed to close in on him.

"So you're finally awake. Do you like the changes I made to the place?" His father's voice echoed next to him.

He didn't even look at him, he was still staring at the walls in shock. What changes was the tyrant talking about? It was all the same. Nothing had changed. Except now there were no machines or toys scattered about.

"If you aren't going to say anything, then I will take my leave." The voice mocked him.

He turned to find his father leaning against the wall, near the panel that flipped over. "Why this place?"

A dark chuckle escaped his father's lips. "Does this place make you uncomfortable?"

"No-o." He tried and failed to hide the fear in his voice. He was cursing himself. This place was worse than death for him.

His father smirked. "But you used to love being in here. Where it's safe." His father came up to him and he shook as the man put his hand on his head. "Remember, nothing can harm you in here." His father leaned down and whispered in his ear. "You're safe from the outside world, my little heir."

He felt dizzy, what was his father talking about, this place wasn't safe. The walls already felt like they were closing in on him. "But…."

"Shhh, no buts. You've been led astray, Tarble. Vegeta wants all of the power for himself. He's afraid of you. You are a threat to him. Why else would he leave you all alone? Defenseless to the world."

The mixture of his father's words and the room were taking its toll. He would do most anything go get out of here. His breathing became harsher, as he looked for a way out, but found none.

"Relax, remember how much you used to enjoy this room. Nothing bad ever happened in here, now did it? No Frostian Princess tried to hurt you. You were never backed against a wall. You just got to play in here all day. Wasn't it nice?"

Why did he have to talk so soothingly? His body continued to shake, the walls of the room closing in around him. All of those years, from his birth till the day Frieza requested to see him, he had never left this room. Vegeta kept him out of it after that mess. His brother didn't want him to be locked away. Vegeta had freed him. "You…..you're wrong." He stated, his voice still a stuttering mess. His confidence was torn to shreds, this room held too many bad memories. Fear and dread of the endless loneliness he suffered within its walls was too much. He tried to move away from his father, but his touch was the only thing keeping him grounded.

To his surprise, he was lifted up. When was the last time that his father tried to hold him? It had to be sometime after he was born. His shaking came to a stop, much to his surprise. "Shhh, you see. You're safe with me."

"I…I'm safe….?" He whispered, his mind was fractured. He didn't know what else to think. He didn't even realize that he was clinging to the man he despised above all others.

"Yes, Tarble. You're safe."

To his surprise, the wall panel opened and his father carried him out of the room. "But…but…I thought…"

"You had to be punished Tarble. Do you now see the error of your ways?" His father wasn't letting him go.

He wanted down now that he was out of the horrible room. Why did he feel so weak? Why did he cave to his father's punishment so fast? A memory of his time in the room resurfaced and he jumped in his father's arms, clinging to his armor.

The man smirked. "Why don't we get you cleaned up, my little prince. We have much to discuss."

His eyes looked up at his fathers, locking with his. Never had his father been this kind towards him ever. Maybe he was right. What if Vegeta was trying to keep him from taking the thrown? But why would his brother lie? Why did he leave him alone?

' _He left to get more power, remember. The Super Saiyan form. He did it to help the people. To free them._ ' His mind reminded him. That's right. His father tried to kill Vegeta. Vegeta left him because he trusted him. He trusted him far more than he deserved. The best thing he could do was play his father's game. Maybe it would let him stall for Vegeta's return and his escape. "Yes, father." He tried to sound convincing to the man. Let him think that he was in control, well he would be if he locked him back in that room. With no sun, friends, or projects, he would quickly grow insane.

His father continued to smirk. "Trust me Tarble, I only want the best for you." His father walked backward, back into the horrid room.

"What are you doing?!" He asked in a panic.

His father chuckled. "Did you really think that I would fall for that?" His father threw him down on the bed. Before running over to the panel wall. "I think a week in here will do you some good."

All he could do was stare in absolute horror. "No…Please..no…"

With that the panel shut, leaving him alone in the sterile room. He was already shaking again. "I'm sorry Vegeta. I don't know how long I'll hold up in here. I'm sorry."

* * *

He paced back and forth. Kakarot would be back on time. He would make sure of it.

"You're going to wear a hole in the floor!" The annoying harpy said, giving him a nasty look.

Bulma chuckled. "I know you're worried about Goku, but he'll be fine. You said it yourself, he's a Saiyan warrior."

"That's not the problem. If he's not back on time, it could seriously put everything I've worked for in jeopardy. We don't have time to mess around. We need to get trained and get home. Every day that passes is another day that I leave my brother to the wolves." He said irritably.

Bulma frowned. "You miss Tarble don't you?"

"I know it's stupid, but he's small and while he can take care of himself, I fear what my father may try to tear us apart." He sighed. This was a weakness and he hated weakness. But Tarble was his little brother. He had looked over him and watched him change before his eyes. He wished he could witness Tarble owning his title. The boy was almost there. All he needed was an extra push.

Chichi looked confused. "How could he do that? Goku said that you two were inseparable."

That peeked his interest. "Why were you and Kakarot talking about my brother and me?"

"We weren't really. He's just a little jealous. He wishes that he and his own brother were so close." She said.

Now that made sense, Kakarot and Raditz weren't really close. They were brothers but also strangers. He looked away from both of the girls. "I know Tarble is loyal to me, but my brother has his weaknesses. I trust him, but I don't know what my father will stoop to in order to gain his trust. Every action my father will be doing will try and tear us apart."

"But why would he want that. Wouldn't it only cause discourse throughout the kingdom?" The black haired harpy said, continuing to stick her nose where it didn't belong.

"Because he wants us to fight over the thrown. That bastard just wants control over both of us. He can't control me, so he'll try and move on to Tarble."

"So you think Tarble is going to cave?" Bulma said with a touch of worry to her voice.

"No, my father has no control over Tarble either. Both of us are out of his reach." He stated, confidently.

"But then why are you worried? Tarble will be fine, just like Kakarot." Bulma said, walking over and giving him a kiss. Chichi giggled as he blushed. "Now, I think I have a gravity machine to finish and a ship to start."

He smirked, watching her leave. She was right. Everything would be fine. Tarble would never fall to their father, he had nothing to worry about.

* * *

Roshi had finally come and joined them as they reached their destination. Now he was meditating on some random rock in the middle of nowhere.

Every once and a while he would peek out and watching Gohan doing the same thing he was. It was too quiet. Why weren't they doing anything?

He was too focused on Gohan to notice that Roshi was on the other side of him and was shocked when he was knocked straight on the head with the man's cane. "Goku, you need to focus."

"But what am I focusing on? You haven't told me anything." He said rubbing his head.

"And that's why you fail. You're so used to others telling you what to do. You need to figure it out for yourself." Roshi pointed out.

"But how do I…OW" The old man knocked him on the head again. All the while Gohan was still meditating, ignoring what was going on. He cursed a few words that he shouldn't be using and tried again. He tried to empty his mind, but his stomach was empty making him only think of food. His stomach let out a lurch.

Roshi stopped and he prepared for another hit from the stick. "Maybe you will do better after you have some food in you."

He almost jumped up at the thought. "What are we having?" he asked enthused with the idea of food.

"You think I'm going to get it for you? You need to hunt for yourself. You've already proven that you can get game for yourself." The old man said, going through his pack.

"But you have so much stuff in your pack. You had to have brought some food." He said, annoyed with Roshi's actions.

Gohan let out a small laugh behind him. "Trust me Goku, you don't want any part of what is in that pack."

He scratched his head in confusion, now he was really curious. "I don't understand."

"Oh Gohan, stop being so pure all of the time. You got to get a rise out of these someday." Roshi said, holding up some weird pack of paper with pictures of woman on them. They seemed to wearing the strangest armor he had ever seen.

"That armor they're wearing isn't going to help them at all. If they are going to battle, they need more coverage." He stated, crossing his arms. Proud of his analysis.

Gohan laughed before ruffling his hair. "I agree with Goku. Besides, you can't see a woman's true beauty if all you're looking at is her body. Now go on Goku, let's go grab us some lunch."

Roshi gave them a small wave as they ran off into the woods. Even though they hadn't done much, he was kind of tired. Maybe it was the trek out here or the constant bashing of Roshi's cane.

"You may not realize it, but you are improving." Gohan said, looking through some branches, revealing some berries.

"It doesn't feel like it." He said, looking away from the branch. He wanted some meat or maybe a fish.

He walked off, heading towards the large lake. He could already see some large fish at the bottom. Without a thought, he jumped into the clear water. He found the fish he wanted, but as he was about to grab it, his tail hit a small sealed box. He turned his attention towards the box as the seal fell from it, a bizarre flash of light coming forth and almost blinding him.

A thunderous laugh filled his ears as the water around him rose. He pulled himself out in time, just as a giant wave came crashing down. He was forced to fly up to miss the wave, only missing it by mere centimeters.

As the water came down, he looked over the figure that had come from the deep. A tall, green monster with two antennae sticking from it head.

The monster looked up at him, an evil smirk painted on its face. "So, you're the creature that has freed me. Prepare to die."

To Be Continued…

 _Authors Note_

 _Poor Tarble, why am I so mean to him? Both him and Raditz get so much crap thrown at them, that I'm surprised that they are still as sane as they are. Awe, Vegeta does care, not that he'll ever say it. Also Kakarot what have you done this time?_

 _If you must know, that room was the one that Tarble was locked in before Tales of the Forgotten. Tarble has always had a fear of being locked back up after the events of that series. Also what King Vegeta is doing is reminiscent of Lady Zera. He is going to try and punish Tarble this way until he breaks._


	32. Chapter 32

He barreled downward, just in time to get out of the way of an oncoming blast. He let out a growl as he sent one back at the green monstrosity. Letting out a small roar when it dodged his attack.

Just as he was about to power up again, the bushes to the side began to shake, Gohan had come to see what had caused the destruction to the forest around them.

"Goku are you alright?" The man asked, not seeing the creature. Gohan was clearly more worried about him than the monster. As he looked around, it seemed that the thing had fled.

He was happy to see Gohan was not harmed by the after effects of the green creature. "Yes, I'm fine."

"I saw the flash and came running. What was that Goku?" Gohan asked.

He shook his head. "I don't know. It was some kind of green monster though."

"Now Goku, there are no such things as monsters. It was probably just your imagination. Were you playing around with your energy blasts?" The old man said with a knowing smile on his face.

"No, I swear Gohan, it was a green monster!" He pleaded, hoping that the old man didn't think he was trying to get attention. The bushes rustled again and he prepared himself for the oncoming attack. "I told you it was a monster." He said running forward.

"GOKU, WAIT!" Gohan yelled after him, but he was far too distracted. He had to get Gohan to see that he was telling the truth.

Just as he made it to the brush, he was smacked over the head. "Really, I swear you are an impatient one." Roshi said, coming from the woods.

"See Goku, there is no monster."

"But I saw it!" He said frantically. Why wouldn't anyone believe him? He thought that Gohan would have his back, but now he was thinking that he was lost in some fantasy. In his rage, he turned his back, staring at the forest. It was in there, he could smell it.

With that he darted into the woods, leaving a dumbfounded Roshi and Gohan in the dust.

Gohan sighed. "I think your right, maybe the boy can't be trained in our ways."

"There just isn't enough time, Gohan. If we had a couple of years, then maybe, but I can't train him in only a couple of weeks." Roshi said walking over to the edge of the lake.

He was going to ask about returning Goku to Bulmas when Roshi dropped his cane. "Master?" He questioned as the older man picked up a small box, his expression becoming serious.

"We need to find Goku." Now this was odd, Roshi had never been this serious about danger ever, even when Red Ribbon was running about.

"What is it?" He asked, worry was starting to fill him.

Roshi sighed. "Because he was right, there is a monster on the loose and it's far deadlier than Red Ribbon could ever be."

He followed its scent, quite far. It wasn't that far ahead of him either. As he turned the next corner, he could see a tiny stream. It was getting drink.

He stayed quiet, watching it's every move. It looked like it needed only water to survive, as it didn't go hunting for food, nor did it look like it had eaten, of course that may have meant nothing.

"You can come out, little one." It said, it must have been able to smell his scent.

He came out from his hiding place, growling at the monster.

It just let out a chuckle. "So you can survive one of my attacks, you could be useful or you could hinder my plans."

"What plans do you have?" He asked, wondering what the creature had in mind.

It only smirked back at him. "I only wish to have what is mine. This planet is mine for the taking and I will rule it with an iron fist. All I need is a small army."

He crossed his arms. "What's really special about this place? It's kind of a dump really."

The confident smirk vanished from the green man's face. "What do you mean, monkey boy."

"Well, most of the people are gone. There was a war that just ended, so really there isn't that much to rule." He said putting his hand behind his head.

The monster didn't look too happy about this. "So someone tried to beat me to the punch then. You said that there was a war, what has all happened in the time I have been locked away?"

He cocked his head to the side. "I don't know. I'm not from here."

The monster laughed. "I too had such dreams. Sometimes I think I lived on a rock much different than this one. But that is only a fantasy."

"No, I'm sure I'm not from his planet. I was born on Planet Vegeta." He said.

The monster seemed irritated with his story. "So you have come up with a name for your imaginary home, how sad."

He growled. "I'm not imagining anything. You're the one that's the idiot."

The monster snarled. "I don't have time for the likes of you." Suddenly the monster's jaw started to unhinge, as it started coughing something up.

He stood there stunned by the sight. What the hell was this guy doing? "Mr. Monster, what are you doing?"

The creature ignored him as his jaw twisted open even farther. Now he could see a rather large egg coming forth from the creature's mouth. The egg landed on the ground and the monster sneered. "Soon my son will be born and he will take care of you."

The egg started to shake violently, a large crack running down the middle.

"Rise my son, Piccolo Jr."

* * *

He paced the office, where only a days ago Tarble sat planning. And now he was here trying to figure his own way into getting the Saiyan Prince back.

He did not know anything about the layout of the castle, so he didn't even know where to start looking for Tarble. If that traitorous girl's thoughts were anything to go by, than Tarble could be lost to them forever. The room in question was in an unknown place within the castle. It had to be, considering that Tarble was locked in there for how many years before he was finally let out and it wasn't only the lower classes that were surprised by his existence. Even Saiyans that had worked at the castle had never even seen Tarble before, which raised many questions in the first place.

Who were the Saiyans that were trusted to look after Tarble in the first place? From Tarble's actions, it seemed that he had no contact with the outside world, besides Vegeta.

A startling realization came to mind. Automation. Everything from Tarble's food and clothing to cleaning and the boy's health had to be monitored. No one ever going in and no one going out.

It made the most sense, Tarble seemed far too innocent of the outside world back then. He had no opinion of his father at the time, but adored Vegeta. Maybe Tarble didn't really know his father then? Vegeta seemed to be the only person that he really knew. That and Vegeta's reactions made far more sense. He was over protective to a fault. He knew Tarble was weak, he couldn't fight just like him, but that wasn't the reason Vegeta was wary. Tarble's weakness in fighting wasn't an issue. It was his lack of experience with the outside world. The only reason Vegeta ended up going with Tarble to Zera's home was due to the older Prince wanting to make sure Tarble was taken care of.

Now after being in the outside world for some time, his friend was now back in his own personal hell. He didn't know what he would do if he was suddenly thrown back into that house, on that planet far away from here, with that woman again. Now he had to question is friend's mental state. Would Tarble even be the same the next time they met? If he didn't get his friend out of there it could disastrous.

Then there was this new power. He had used it on Parle, but how did it work? Even after using it once, he wasn't able to conjure it again, which was far too bad as it could have been useful in finding Tarble. If he didn't get Tarble back before Vegeta returned, they would all be facing the older prince's wrath.

He plopped down into a chair, deciding to look over Tarble's notes again. Their old watches had been removed soon after the war had broken out. They were truly cut off from each other.

"Raditz?" He looked up over to the door. His father stood there, fear and confusion still edged into his eyes.

"It's okay Dad, I can't get it to work again." He said trying to get the man to stop looking at him that way. To stop looking at him like he was a monster.

"Oh." His father came in the room, but was still somewhat wary. It reminded him of how he used to act around Zera, which kind of made sense. He had just killed a child. Parle was a traitor, but again did she deserve to be killed in such a manner?

He looked down away from his father. He didn't want to be looked at like that. He shook a little, wishing that he hadn't gone off the deep end. "I understand if you want to stay away from me." He said quietly.

To his surprise, his father placed his hand on his head. "I can't do that. I'm a little unnerved but that will fade with time."

"I shouldn't have taken it that far. I'm no better than Zera was." He kept his head down, refusing to look up.

Smack! "Don't you dare think that! You will never be like her, Raditz!"

He looked up at his father, meeting his gaze. "But I killed a child."

"You killed a traitor, son. If you didn't kill her, then she could have revealed our location. You did the right thing. Besides, the rest of us would have ripped her to shreds." His father said, all the fear he had seen before was gone, replaced by anger.

"But I could have gotten some information out of her." He said, knowing it was a stupid reason.

His father chuckled. "But you did get information out of her. You got King Vegeta's plans for Tarble, along with how she was deceiving us. As much as I find it a little disturbing, I can't help but be proud of you."

"Huh?" This was far too confusing. Why the hell was his father approving of this?

"You fought back. I've seen you kill before, but that was different. This was different. You were fighting her with your anger and your mind. You know how long I've wanted to see you fight? The sheer amount of pride I felt watching you go in for the kill, was akin to seeing your brother off at his first day at the training center." His father said ruffling his hair.

"I thought that you were okay with me being smart?" He asked.

His father chuckled. "I am and I'm proud of your accomplishments, this is just an added bonus."

"I just want to know what that was." He said, talking to himself.

"Isn't it obvious?" His eyes turned to the doorway, this time Gure was the one standing there.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, annoyed with the Tech-Tech's presence.

She giggled. "Do you not remember anything of your girlfriend's story?"

"What does that have to do with..?" The Nightwalkers….Tar's power.

"I see that you have figured it out." She laughed again. "I believe that is what happened to Tarble on the day after Vegeta's supposed death. That was the power the crippled the King to the ground."

His father seemed all kinds of confused. "What are you going on about?"

She seemed ready to answer, but he held his hand up. "The Nightwalkers. If this is the red eyes of the Nightwalkers from the Super Saiyan legend, than the legend itself must be true."

"Which means that Prince Vegeta should be able to unlock the Super Saiyan form as well." His father said to his surprise.

"Only if he has the full dominate genes." He said, not really wanting to be a downer, but he had to be realistic.

"Not one to change the subject, but how are we going to get Tarble back?" Gure questioned.

He sighed. "I don't know, but we need to get the blue prints of the castle or get in contact with someone that knows the layout. If we can do that we can save Tarble."

"Vegeta knows, if only there was a way to contact him." Gure said sadly.

He blinked a few times, standing up and going to a computer. From there he looked for the ship signal. He found nothing, but found himself smirking anyway. "Looks like I have a challenge ahead of me then."

* * *

He stared at the walls again. Last night, he didn't sleep at all. Staring up the ceiling instead. The lights flickered on and off as he tossed and turned. His nerves were already shot and now he was not only sleep deprived, but starving.

He didn't even notice that he was rocking back and forth on his bed, as he scanned the walls again. Looking for any way out of this hellhole.

He grabbed the blanket from the bed and wrapped himself in it. He wasn't cold but he couldn't help the shivering that ran up and down his spine.

The panel started to move and he moved with it, almost running forward.

His father gave him a welcoming smile. "Are you hungry, my son?"

He nodded, much to his own utter hatred of himself. He cursed this room and its effect on him.

"Then let's get some food then." His father said scooping him up like a small child. Well, technically he was a small child.

"But I thought?" He was about to ask, but his father silenced him with a small hug to his chest. Warmth. Contact. It all was so soothing. He didn't even realize that he was purring. All he wanted was to be warm, even with a blanket the room was cold, not in temperature, but due to the lack of any contact with the outside world. Hours upon hours with nothing to stimulate his mind was taking its toll on him already.

His father smirked down at him, when he refused to be put down. The room around him was familiar enough. The dining hall, still looked the same as he remembered. The pops of color from the different tapestries looked far more vibrant after being in that room, staring blankly at the beige walls. "It's okay. You're safe with me." His father said, finally getting him to sit down in his chair. "See Tarble, everything is fine. As long as you're with me, you don't have to worry."

What did that mean? "I don't understand."

His father gave him a small smile. "You'll see. In time you will see."

To Be Continued…

 _Author's Note_

 _Sorry about the lack of a second chapter for his last week. I kind of wanted to give my readers of my other story an extra for that week as they only get one chapter a week. That and I'm in the middle of moving across a couple of states for school. Plus I'm working on a couple of the other series that have summaries on my profile._

 _Poor Tarble, that room really does a number on him. So Raditz is going to try and find Vegeta, good luck with that. So King Piccolo and Piccolo have truly entered the story. I wonder how this is going to turn out. Also I'm really liking the contrast that his story has between King Vegeta and Bardock. One wanting his children to conform to his ideas, while the other is learning to accept his children and whatever path they take._


	33. Chapter 33

He stared back up at his father as Tech-Techs started to bring them food. So that's what his father had them doing. Not only that, but each of them had a small collar around there neck. He guessed that it was either a shock collar or a tracking device. None of them were in their larger forms, which probably meant that his father had no idea about the change.

His father chuckled. "Tech-Tech's are rather strange looking aren't they. I mean look how small they are. They can't even defend themselves."

He blinked a couple of times as the small things frowned. "Yeah, they're a lot like me."

His father frowned. "You know as well as I do that that is not the case." He looked up from his plate in confusion, what was his father even talking about? "That day about a month ago, you attacked me Tarble."

He shook his head. "You're wrong. I…I didn't do anything."

"Then how was it that I fell to my knees? You did something." His father said, watching him pick his food.

He was starving, but he didn't trust the food in front of him. His mind was becoming clearer the longer he stayed out of the room, but he knew that it wouldn't last. After this meal, he would go back in there. "I did nothing. Maybe you were just sick. You are weak after all."

It all happened so fast, he was flung against the wall. Pain radiated down his spine, as he let out a whimper in pain. "You say I'm weak, but you can't even throw a punch at me."

Even with the pain racing down his back, he continued to speak. "Weakness had nothing to do with fighting."

His father laughed, a twisted smile appearing on his face. "Says the boy that is terrified of a room. Why don't we head back there? Are you already missing it?"

He let out a small growl as his father lifted him up. He couldn't move. He must have either broken a bone or bruised himself badly. Right now he didn't want to be anywhere near this man, nor did he want to go back in that room. He would rather be beaten to death than go back in that hell. But he couldn't do anything to stop him and he knew that this was inevitable.

As they reached the panel, he found himself shaking again. His own fear getting the better of him.

The door opened and his eyes landed on the beige, the lights were flickered off, making the room look even more terrifying. If he could move, he would have been trying to claw his way out, but all he could do was shake. "Please…." He found himself whispering, the fear starting to take its toll.

His father smirked. "Please what?" His father said, rocking him back and forth.

Strangely, he found it relaxing as his father started humming. His eyes were drooping a little, due to the pain and the lack of sleep from the night before. He tried to say something, but was silenced. "Shhhh….you're safe, Tarble. It's just time for sleep." And with that he felt himself try and move closer to the warmth and fell asleep.

* * *

The small green monster known as Piccolo Jr. appeared before him. It didn't look much different from the other monster, who by now he guessed was named Piccolo, only shorter.

He was still confused as to how the monster had created another one, but didn't ask any questions. Instead, he chose to collect some energy instead.

The younger Piccolo was looking him over, as if he was looking for a weakness. He didn't plan on letting him find one.

That wasn't the only thing that was going on. The elder Piccolo had ran off, leaving his child to fight him in his stead.

"So monkey, are you ready to die?" Piccolo pointed at him with a glare on his face.

He cocked his head to the side. "How do you know that I'm a Saiyan?" The energy in his had faded with this information.

The glare faded from the monster's face. "A what?"

"A Saiyan. Don't tell me that you don't know what a Saiyan is either." He said with a sigh.

"Kid, I was born less than 5 minutes ago! Do you really think that I know anything about the outside world yet?!" The small monster screamed at him.

He crossed his arms. "Then how do you know if you want to listen to that guy?"

Piccolo seemed to look angrier. "He's my father!"

"But you don't have to listen to him. It seems like he doesn't really care about you. My dad would have stayed and watched me fight." He said proudly.

He watched Piccolo look around, trying to find his father. "But he wouldn't just leave me."

"Looks like he just did." He said leaning against a tree. "You know if you help me find him, you can ask him why he left you."

"Like I would help you!" Piccolo said launching himself forward, only to have him catch his fist with one hand.

"My name is Kakarot, but people around here call me Goku." He said with a small smirk on his face as he saw traces of fear in the other boy's features. "I think it would be wise for you to come with me."

Piccolo grumbled. "Fine, have it your way monkey."

"Good, now we need to find Gohan and Master Roshi. They have to believe me now!" He said excitedly as they exited the forest.

* * *

He watched as Bulma emerged from the new gravity room. She had a confident smile on her face.

"Is it complete?" He asked, impatiently.

She put her hand on her hips. "Is that really the first thing you're going to say to me?"

A playful smirk appeared on his face as he leaped forward, grabbing her hips and planting a kiss on her. "How about that then?"

He watched as she blushed and fumbled over her words. "It's done. Now I just need to get started on that ship. Do you have anything that I can used as a base? Like what does it need to have?"

"Just the basics, you can probably find a blue print on the scouter. My brother was always hiding shit everywhere." He said, wanting to get started on his training.

She walked away from him, going over to a nearby work bench. He watched as she started looking over his scouter when it suddenly beeped to life.

He found himself walking over to the table and hitting the side button. "State your name and purpose." He said sternly.

" _Vegeta?"_ He knew that voice.

"Raditz? How the hell did you…?"

He heard a slight chuckle from the other end. _"You forget how smart I am, Vegeta. I'm just glad I was able to find your frequency. How far are you out?"_

"Pretty far, the Planet I'm on didn't even have any knowledge of our race. But that isn't important. If you wanted to contact me, then I know something big has happened." He stated.

Raditz sighed. _"You're not going to like it."_

Bulma grabbed his arm and he braced himself for the news. "What is going on Raditz?"

" _I'm sorry Vegeta, war just couldn't wait. It broke out only a day after you left."_

He blinked a couple of times. "Why didn't you just follow the plan?!" He could feel himself becoming angry.

" _Tarble turned on your father at your funeral. A mob gathered and sides were taken, but that isn't the reason I tried to find you."_ Raditz said in his defense.

"What do you mean? How did Tarble turn on our father?" What did his brother do and how much trouble was he in?

" _Onna's story turned out to be true. I don't know about the Super Saiyan part, but the Nightwalker power does exist and trust me, it's not very pretty."_ Raditz said with a little hesitation in his voice.

Now he was a little impressed. His little brother unlocked an ancient power just as he had. "So put him on the line. If he is leading that army, he will need my input." He felt more at ease. With their combined power, Tarble and himself could easily maintain control over the galaxy.

There was a brief pause over the scouter. _"I can't do that Vegeta."_

"Why not?" He said angrily into the scouter.

" _Because Tarble was taken. Your father has him in custody. We were running a mission and Tarble wanted to be the one that installed a chip into the mainframe that would stop the elites and your father from obtaining supplies. But Tarble and I trusted the wrong person. She sent our mission data to your father and Tarble was captured."_ He heard the venom in Raditz, voice, but it didn't register. All he could feel was his veins turning to ice as he realized the position they were in.

"Where is the girl in question?" His voice what flat, all emotion was drained out of it.

" _I took care of her. Not in the usual way. It seems that I too have the Nightwalker power, but I will say it is different from how Tarble used it. It must be different for each Saiyan. Tarble can attack from a distance. I need to be in contact with them to attack. But again that isn't the reason I called. Where is the secret room in the Castle?"_ Raditz seemed more disjointed than he had been in the past.

"You think my father is going to put Tarble in there?" He asked. He wouldn't put it past his this father. His old man would try any dirty trick he could and if Tarble was able to use the Nightwalker power, he would want to use Tarble for his own personal gain. But Tarble would never agree to that, was his old man really dense enough to believe that a room would be able to turn Tarble against him?

" _I know so. It was how I learned her intentions."_ Raditz seemed to be hiding something. He need to know what.

"Raditz, I need the whole story." He stated, knowing it would hard to pry it out of the long haired Saiyan.

On the other end Raditz sighed. _"Well, I can read minds and see their memories. It allows me to mess with peoples brain waves until they die. Her brain exploded in her skull. She did it all so she could have a mate, such a stupid thing really. Cuw is an idiot even by Kakarot's standards."_

So his brother was exchanged for a mate. That girl was lucky that Raditz was the one that dealt with her. If he had been home, she would have ripped apart, while he took his time. Also the name Cuw rang a bell, he knew he had heard it around before. The boy must have been from an elite or upper class family. "Anything else?"

" _Not that I know of. I've told you all I know, now I just need the location of that room. You know as well as I do what will happen if Tarble stays that room for too long."_ Raditz warned.

"Why can't he just use his Nightwalker powers?" He asked, but already knew the answer. It was the same reason that he needed the gravity chamber now.

" _He doesn't fully understand the how to use it. I'm still stumped on how to use it myself. All that I know was that I wasn't really in control of my body. I just let my anger control me."_ Raditz said, shame clearly in his voice.

"Then we are on the same ship then. I have reached the Super Saiyan form. Now all I need to do is control it." He bragged.

He heard a small laugh from the other end. _"If anyone could do it, I knew you would."_

"Anyway, the room in question is on the ground floor in the far west wing of the castle. It's hidden behind a part of the wall. It lifts up, but only if the code has been put in. My father has probably had the code changed." He cursed his father for doing this. Attacking him was one thing, going after Tarble was another.

" _What was the old code? It may be close to it."_ Raditz asked.

"Worthless. The code was worthless." He hated that code. It was his father's own personal attack on a child that was defenseless. A child he saw as nothing more than dead weight.

"Vegeta?" Bulma was looking at him sadly, her hand had left him and she was now leaning against him with her forehead against his. Her presence kept him grounded. He could ponder his anger later. Getting Tarble out of that hellhole was the most important thing right now.

" _Who is that?"_ Raditz asked.

He blinked a couple of times, staring at his future mate. "Bulma Briefs, show her the same respect you would show to me."

"You must be the genius I have heard a lot about. I can't wait to meet all of you." She said with some excitement. He gave her a small smile. She had never been into space or away from home for that matter. He couldn't wait until this war was over and he could show her some of the better parts of the galaxy that they would rule together.

Raditz seemed quiet on the other end. _"Vegeta, what is going on?"_

He chuckled. "I'll explain later. If you can, send me some details on a ship. Ours was destroyed and Bulma is working on a new one."

" _I can send you the blue prints over this line, but can she handle it?"_ Raditz said with uncertainty.

"If you think I'm not up to the task, I can always make one from scratch, but that will take longer." She said, offended.

" _So you found yourself an engineer then. Fine, I will send the blue prints and our coordinates. It will be in code though. Just in case this call has been traced. It shouldn't be too hard if you have a genius with you."_

With that the scouter gave a ding and he looked over the jumbled mess of numbers and letters. To his side, Bulma concentrated before getting a cocky smirk on her face. "Got it. You should try out a harder code system."

" _Good to know. Vegeta, I don't wish to rush you, but we are running out of time. Tarble needs you here. We can try and get into the castle, but it won't be effective without your presence."_ Raditz said.

"As soon as Bulma finishes the ship, I will be on my way back." He said trying to quiet Raditz's fears.

" _One more thing Vegeta. Where is Kakarot?"_ Raditz asked.

Of course Raditz was going to bring up his brother. "He's off training. He will be back soon." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth either. He still had no idea when the younger boy would return.

" _Oh, well. I'll tell mom that he's fine. Both of our parents are just worried."_ Raditz sighed from the other end.

He felt himself smirk. "It think it's not just your parents, Raditz."

" _Your right, it's not. When the time comes for your return, send me a code link from the scouter. Don't answer unless you see a code link from now on. I will live a personal signature on my codes."_ Raditz ordered to his surprise.

"I will have Bulma look over everything beforehand. Just keep yourselves out of harm's way for now. Bulma should have the ship done in just a week. Then it should be a week of travel if we can hyper drive back. Tarble should be able to hold out for that long." He stated. He hated that he was going to have to leave his brother with that dog, but what choice did he have.

" _Understood. I will be expecting your arrival in two weeks' time_." Raditz said.

"Over." He stated

" _Over and out."_ And with that Raditz's end disconnected.

"Vegeta are you okay?" Bulma asked, he could hear worry in her voice.

He turned to look at her. She seemed taken aback by the sadness in his eyes. "I will be, once I get my brother back."

To Be Continued….

 _Way to go Raditz, he isn't a genius for nothing. So Vegeta has two weeks to get home. Will Tarble's mental state be strong enough to withstand the room for that long? Also how will King Piccolo's arrival affect their plans? Seems like Kakarot has befriended Piccolo Jr. (who most of you know is Piccolo from the end of Dragonball and all of Z_ ). _Also I would fully appreciate if you like this story, if you could review it. It gives me not only an idea of whether you like the story and the direction that it is going, but anything I can improve on._


	34. Chapter 34

He was quite proud of himself. After getting in contact with Vegeta, he now had at least some good news to look forward to. He wouldn't report the Prince's return until he had confirmation that Vegeta had left the strange planet he was on. There was no reason to get everyone over excited.

He looked over the panel one more time before shutting it down. His cocky smile never leaving his face.

A light knock came from the entry and his father was standing there with a small frown on his face. "What is it now?" He asked.

"Nothing much. Just wondering how all of this will end. We have one Prince in lock up and the other one is MIA. The others are starting to get restless. They want a leader and we can't give them one. Many of them are too disillusioned by what happened with Parle that they are considering returning back to the King." His father sighed.

He chuckled. "Two weeks. Tell them that all we need is two weeks. After those weeks are up, they can decide whether or not they want to stay."

Bardock quirked an eyebrow up at him. "You know something that I don't? Spill."

"Fine, but this doesn't leave this room. I don't want this to get out to the King. Even with Parle dead, we don't know if we will have another traitor amongst us." He said smirking up at his father.

His father seemed quite happy with this. "You know I'm not a blather mouth. My lips will be sealed on this subject."

"I was able to get in contact with Prince Vegeta. He and Kakarot should return in two weeks' time." He said with a cocky smirk.

"Good, I will try and keep the others from leaving. As soon as the Prince returns morale will sky rocket." His father said leaning against the wall. "How did you even contact them anyway?"

"I just messed around with some of the communications equipment." He said kind of embarrassed at the proud look he was getting.

"How long did it take you?" His father asked.

"Only a couple of hours."

His father moved away from the wall and back to the door. "I won't say anything. Just tell me next time you make contact. I would like to speak with Kakarot for a bit." He nodded looking down, of course his father would want to check on his brother. "Oh and Raditz." His face turned back up. "Thank you for trusting me. It means a lot."

He nodded, surprised that his father was so happy about this. Maybe, just maybe they were finally connecting. His father was trying. Maybe he should try a little bit more as well.

* * *

The younger Piccolo followed him through the brush until they had returned to the lake. Looking down at the ground, he could see that both Roshi and Gohan had left some time ago.

"We have a little more ground to cover. It shouldn't take long to find them." He said turning to the small green kid.

"Why don't you just find their Ki's?" The boy said with annoyance.

"Because I can't sense Ki. So I got to look for them the old fashioned way." He growled.

The demon let out a small laugh. "You have all of that power and you can't even sense Ki? I was able to do it right outside of the egg." He bragged.

"Look, it's just not that simple. I can't just learn it in a couple of minutes. Gohan said it would take time." He argued back at the demon.

"It really isn't that hard. If you wanted to learn it bad enough, you could have it down in seconds." The young boy said, crossing his arms over his chest.

He sighed. "It's not like I didn't try."

"Fine, close your eyes and empty your mind." The other boy said.

He cocked his head to the side. "But we are in the middle of trying to find Roshi and Gohan. And what about if your father shows up?"

"Then my father can watch me destroy you, but until then listen to what I say."

He shook his head. "Why should I trust you? How do I know that you won't take the opportunity to attack me while you have the chance?"

"Dammit Kakarot! Just do what I say! We can find those two faster if you at least try it!" The boy yelled, clearly ready to snap.

"Fine, have it your way. But if you even try to attack me while my eyes are closed, then prepare for you head to meet the ground." He warned before sitting down on the ground.

"Okay then, close your eyes and open your mind. Get rid of all of your thoughts." The other boy said, sitting across from him.

He did what he was asked, but just like before, he couldn't stop himself from thinking. It was just too hard. "How do I stop thinking?" He kind of hoped that the demon boy would have some answers for him that Roshi wouldn't give him.

The other boy chuckled. "It's not as hard as you think. Take a deep breath and listen only to the sounds around you. If you do it right, in about 10 minutes you should be able to have some idea of what you're doing. You will start to feel the earth around you and your mind will be able to find the Ki's of living things. After enough practice, you will be able to do it without meditating."

"Why the hell didn't the old man just say that?" He asked.

"Maybe he knows something about you that I don't? But that's the gist of how you do it." The demon answered smugly.

With that he grew silent. Doing just as Piccolo said. He started with deep breaths, listening only to the sounds around him. He felt something warm flowing through his body. He would have been alarmed but somehow he knew it was his own energy. His life force. His Ki. From there he moved outwards. While his own Ki was warm, the others around him seemed quite cool. If he were to describe the color of his Ki, he would have to say red or orange, but the boy across from him was a much cooler color. Blues and purples came to mind. He started to push farther. Small things like insects barely gave off a reading, but larger animals gave off a feeling of a gentle green or a dangerous red. He tried to find their camp, but Roshi and Gohan were gone. There was not a single trace of them. They must have gone somewhere else. He pushed farther and could feel tiny foot prints. The Ki of both men lingered on them. They were moving out of the forest and from the look of it. They must have been heading back to Bulma's bunker. Maybe they had finally discovered the demon for themselves and were looking for Vegeta to get rid of it.

He opened his eyes to find the green boy staring back at him. "We need to get out of this forest."

"I figured. We can also see better without all of these trees." The demon boys said, glaring up at the foliage around them.

He laughed. "I like the trees. They remind me of home, in a way. Planet Vegeta has a lot of grassland, but the wooded areas are the best places to play."

"What could you possibly play out here?" The demon boy asked.

"Well, hide and seek for one. Back home we would hide and someone would coming looking for us and if you were found, you had to fight the seeker. It was a lot of fun."

"That sounds dumb." The green kid spouted.

"How would you know? You've never even tried it." He argued back.

"We don't have time for playing Kakarot. We need to find my father so I can finish kicking your ass!"

He grinned. "Like you could even land a punch on me."

"Whatever, can we just get out of here?"

"Fine." He answered, annoyed with the fact that his fun was cut short. He would have to get the other to have some fun later, after they had figured out where Gohan, Roshi, and the elder Piccolo had run off to.

* * *

 _He was in a rush. Vegeta was back, just like he said he would be. He called out to his brother, but instead of being greeted with a small smirk, he was given a small frown._

" _Brother?" He almost stopped in his tracks. Why was Vegeta so angry with him? "Vegeta, why are you looking at me like that?"_

" _Do you really think that I care about a weakling like you? You must be joking." Vegeta spat out in anger. "You think that you are so smart, but you can't even hold your own. It was my mistake to think that for one second I could trust you."_

 _He could feel his eyes burning with tears. "I tried Vegeta, I really did."_

 _Vegeta growled. "You didn't try hard enough. You aren't even worth my time. I should have just left you to die."_

 _His voice was barely a whisper. "But you…you said that…"_

 _An evil cackle came from his brother's form. "You really are stupid, you know that. I lied. You are just a pawn and just like any other pawn, you are dirt under my feet."_

" _Please don't…" he called out only to be silenced by his brother._

" _You don't get to order me around. You have no place near me." With that Vegeta walked off into the darkness leaving him alone._

 _The darkness surrounded him as he fell to his knees, tears stained his face as he mourned the loss of his brother's love. His worst fears confirmed._

He awoke, covered in sweat. His breathing was labored as he looked around the empty room, finding nothing. Just what he was, nothing. Vegeta's words were still ringing through his mind. Why would his brother say such horrible things to him? Didn't his brother care about him? 'Then why has he left you alone. He doesn't care about me. He has never cared about me.' The angry thought made itself known as he let out a growl. How could he be so blind? His brother really did think of him as a pawn, just like any other trash at his disposal.

The door panel slid open. "Oh, Tarble. I didn't think you would be awake yet." His father's voice said from behind him.

What was he talking about? He was never asleep. When had he even fallen asleep? He turned around to face the man, but didn't say anything.

"I bet you are hungry. You did miss a meal today. How about we go and get something?" His father said.

He nodded. Not arguing. Not even shaking. He was walking around like a zombie, half alive and half dead. The dream Vegeta's words had cut him worse than any knife ever could. He knew now that it had to be a dream. It was only his fears getting the better of him that was all. Well, his fears and this room, but the entire thing had felt so real. So much so that he didn't know if he could even face the real Vegeta.

Without warning he was lifted up. "You have something on your mind. I can see it on your face."

He tried to shake his head, but he was still frozen up. His body felt very cold, shivering in the open air. Up in the arms of his father, he was pulled against his chest, almost sighing in relief at the warmth he felt.

"Everything is going to be fine. I'm here. Whatever it was you can tell me." At his father's words, he practically latched on to his armor, his shaking fading in and out. His father had a cocky smirk on his face as they walked out of the room.

Instead of his mind clearing up, he started holding on tighter. He didn't know if he could handle the outside world without Vegeta. He just couldn't. At the end of the hall, his father tried to place him down into his chair but he refused.

"Now Tarble, you need to eat. I can't hold you when you are eating." His father said smugly.

He shook his head violently. Not caring about how is father looked. All he knew was fear. The fear of being alone. The dream Vegeta's words still echoing in his mind.

A couple of servants came in, the Tech-Tech's from before. He watched as they started to put food down, but one was staring at him. The look on its face openly mocking him. He felt the urge to wipe that look off of its face.

Finally he allowed his father to put him down. The voices from before were still repeating over and over again, but now his mind had a target. Someone he wanted gone.

He cleaned his plate, not realizing how hungry he actually was. His own fear and grief blinding that fact.

The Tech-Tech from before came to take his plate, but as he reached for his plate he stopped him, grabbing on to its hand. It looked up at his him angrily. He let out a growl, before turning in this seat and kicking it in the face.

"Tarble! What are you doing?!" His father said with alarm.

"That thing was mocking me!" He said pointing down at it, watching as it rubbed it face. He wanted to watch it squirm some more.

His father crossed his arms. "How was he mocking you?"

"He forgot his place." He said angrily.

His father smirked. "And what place is that?"

He growled. "Below me! Under my feet, like any other piece of trash on this planet!"

His father stood up, walking over to him and leaning down. Whispering in his ear. "What should we do with him then, Prince Tarble?"

His head started hurting like crazy, the red haze was back, but now it was much darker. The red color was almost gone, replaced with nothing but black. Soon it felt like the entire room was coated in the dark mist. He could still see his target.

He didn't know how he knew what to do, but it came to him, like an instinct long forgotten. He lifted his arm up slowly and the Tech-Tech began to rise off of the floor. He pulled his hand back slightly, before rising his other hand, this time pulling the weapon on the coat of the arms out, the sword gleaming in the darkness. He started to laugh. Everyone was wrong, he had power.

He launched the arm with the Tech-Tech forward and watched as it was impaled on the sword. He savored the screams that echoed from it throat. He wanted to hear more. He pulled it back off of the sword and did it again.

It let out one final scream, before succumbing to death. He could feel its life leaving it and felt pure satisfaction at its demise.

The blackness around him started to fade, the room becoming bright again.

He heard a whisper in his ear. "Did you have fun, my heir?"

He felt himself smirk. "Yes, father."

To Be Continued….

Author's Note

 _Oh no. Vegeta, you better get back home soon. Tarble is starting to crack. The longer he stays the worse he will become._


	35. Chapter 35

He came out of the gravity room with a smirk on his face. The room worked perfectly. It wouldn't take long for him to control the form, Bulma had done well. Not that he doubted her.

He left for the kitchen. He needed some water after a long workout.

When he got there, it was vacant. Bulma had to be working on the ship and the harpy was probably out somewhere doing who knows what.

He opened a cabinet and got a glass out before going to the facet and filling it. He was rather glad that the water here was on a purifier. The man that would have been his father in law, had made this place fully livable before his tragic demise, if only his own family had foreseen the danger that they had faced. Maybe then he wouldn't have had to worry about Tarble. His father would have never tried to hide Tarble from the world and they would have been a much happier family because of it. But that wasn't the case. And now his brother was back in that room he detested and there was nothing he could do about it.

He cursed himself as he sat down at the table. If only he had stayed put, then Tarble wouldn't have been taken. His brother would be safe and they could go through with this war together. Now he didn't know what to expect when he returned. He already knew that Tarble wouldn't be the same, but would he resent him. Nothing sent chills up his spine like that thought.

He wasn't one for admitting his feelings, but the two of them shared a bond as brothers, one that he hoped would be unbreakable. Only time would tell if he was right and losing Tarble would he akin to losing Bulma, if not more so, as the two of them weren't mated yet.

Finishing off his water, he figured that he needed to get back to his training. The hatch opened from above and he thought to ignore it. The harpy was probably back.

"Bulma!" The old preverts voice rang through the bunker and he grew quickly annoyed. If that old fart thought for a second that he was going to be groping his girl, he had another thing coming.

He stepped into the front room, only to find that the pervert was not alone. Gohan was with him. As he scanned around, he couldn't find Kakarot anywhere, even his smell was vacant. "Where is Kakarot?" He asked glaring daggers at the two old men. Gohan had promised that he would return with the boy, but there was no sign of him.

"We hit a snag. I need to speak with Bulma. She is the only one that can help us right now." The pervert said, far more serious than he had ever seen him.

He growled. "That didn't answer my question. I want to know where Kakarot is."

"What is with all of this racket, Roshi? I have a project that I am working on here." Bulma said storming out in her body suit. He was glad that she was wearing that. It was giving their company less of an eyeful.

The old man wasted no time. "Do you still have the dragon radar? We need to find the other dragonballs this instant!"

She quirked an eyebrow, just as he cocked his head to the side. "What's a dragon radar?"

Bulma giggled. "It's a device I made to locate the dragonballs, but I'm not giving it to them so they can wish for women's underwear. That's what he wanted last time."

"Trust me Bulma, I wish that was the case. A great evil has been unleashed on Earth and I need the balls to put it back." Now that caught his attention.

"What kind of evil?" He said, wanting to know more. Maybe that was where Kakarot was.

"A demon. King Piccolo was locked away by my former master at the cost of his own life. The seal was broken on his container and now that monster is out there running amok. It is safe to assume that he too will be looking for the dragonballs." The old man said.

He couldn't stop the grin that formed on his face. "So what does this demon look like?"

Roshi looked down. "I, myself have never seen the demon, neither has Gohan. But Goku gave us a good enough description. Be cautious of a man with green skin and antennae coming from his forehead."

He frowned. The appearance he described. It sounded familiar, but he would need more evidence before he could be certain. "You still haven't answered my question, where is Kakarot?"

Gohan looked down. "That would be my fault. I thought that he was just looking for attention, but that wasn't the case. It wasn't until he had run after the creature that Roshi and I discovered the box. Now I don't know where he is, or if he is even alive."

He growled out loud. "You said he would be fine!"

"Vegeta, we don't have time for this! If we don't find those dragonballs we could be in big trouble. Gohan and I have two of the seven. We just need to find where Red Ribbon left the others." Roshi said, trying to reason with him.

"You better hope and pray that he is still alive. Or so help me I will kill you both myself." He snarled. He was already dealing with the possible loss of Tarble. He refused to lose Kakarot as well. Let Bulma find the dragonballs. If Kakarot was gone then he knew a better use for them than locking up a demon that he himself could probably take down easily.

"I'll get the radar, but you have to promise me that you will try and keep it away from the bunker. I'm working on a project and it can't wait." He couldn't help but smile at his girl's words, she was already putting the needs of her new planet over the needs of this rock. She would be a fine queen.

"I'll go with them. I want to see this demon for myself." He stated. Being close to them would ensure that he got his hands on the balls if he needed them. Everything would go according to his wishes. Whether they liked it or not.

* * *

He could see Piccolo flying after him as they got closer to Bulma's bunker. The little green demon seemed to be a little on edge. He wasn't used to people and it would be a lot of people he had never met before.

As they got within range of the bunker, something caught his eye. Well more like someone.

Chichi was out collecting something from the trees. He bet it was fruit or something along those lines. He couldn't help but sneer at her after her treatment of him.

Ignoring Piccolo's complaints, he landed. He wanted to give her a piece of his mind.

"Oh Goku, I didn't think you would be back so soon." She said rather happily. Now he was confused. Wasn't she still pissed at him over the kiss?

He tried to put on his angry face. "Chichi, we need to talk."

She looked confused, but then turned to look around him, seeing Piccolo. "Goku, who is your friend?" She said nervously.

"Oh this is Piccolo." He said pointing at the demon. "But that's not important. Why are you being nice to me?" He asked fully confused by the girl's actions.

Her face flushed. "Goku that isn't that important."

He crossed his arms. "Well to me it is. You slapped me and Vegeta got mad at me, so I think I have every right to be mad at you."

"Goku, you stole my first kiss!" She said almost screaming at him.

"Yeah, I did. But I still don't see the big deal. It's not like it meant anything." He grumbled, glaring at her.

What happened next was something he didn't expect. She started crying. "So am I really that bad?"

His anger was fading out of him and now he felt very guilty. "You're not that bad."

But that didn't seem to help, as she turned her back. "Just stay away from me if you don't like me that much." He growled as she ran off.

"I'm going to go after her." He sighed.

"I thought we were going find my father. I'm not here to watch your love life." Piccolo said annoyed with the situation. "Everything would have been fine if you had just left her be."

"No, I still need to talk it out with her. Vegeta told me that I had to apologize to her." He still didn't like that he was being punished for something that he didn't see as wrong.

Just as he was about to tell Piccolo that he was right, he heard Chichi scream and a blast firing.

"Dammit!" He said running after her.

As he rounded a corner, he saw her hiding under a fallen tree. He was going to ask her what caused the blast when the entire side of his body jolted with pain and he was thrown through the air. The force slamming him into a tree.

He winced as he pulled himself up. He had to ignore the pain. Looking down for a second, he could see that he was covered in his own blood. His throat hurt as he started couching. His breathing was starting to slow and the world around him was starting to fade in and out.

"Goku?" Chichi's voice sounded terrified as he fell to the ground. Everything was starting to become quiet. Maybe a nap was all he needed. "Goku, please. Don't do this. You can't die." What was Chichi even talking about? He just needed a nap that was all. Even through all of the pain, he could fell her grabbing onto him. Warm liquid fell on his face as she began to cry against him.

Why was she crying over a nap? That made no sense. He felt his hand reach out, he could barely see her face, but through the jumbled mess he could see that she had stopped crying and giving him a sad smile. After that everything faded out. The world became dark and he let it.

* * *

Bulma had just finished packing up their things for the journey when the bunker flew open again. Vegeta was about to curse when he smelt the blood and it wasn't just any blood. "Kakarot…." The word came out but it didn't feel real. He watched as Chichi tried to carry him down. How far had she carried him? He ran forward to help, lifting his companions head.

Behind him Gohan and Roshi just stared as Vegeta started to snarl. "Where is it?" He rarely showed his teeth, but this beast had made it personal.

Chichi was a pile of tears. "I was on the edge of the woods. Goku and I started talking and I got mad at him. When I ran in something attacked me. It tried to kill me. Goku came after me. It was then that he was hit…..it's all my fault. If I didn't run off…..he wouldn't be…." She sniffed, before getting even louder with her tears.

In his anger, he didn't see someone rustling by him. The color green sticking out like a sore thumb. "Really Kakarot, you are a lot of trouble, you know that." The green boy said, pushing his hand down on Kakarot.

Green…didn't they say that King Piccolo was green. "What are you?"

Chichi was the first to speak. "Oh, that's Piccolo. He was with Goku earlier."

Both Roshi and Gohan seemed ready to fire energy blasts at the boy, but he held his hand up. He needed to get to the bottom of this. "You were traveling with Kakarot, why?"

"That's not important now. Getting his wounds healed is." The green boy said, closing his eyes. It was then that he realized what the boy was doing.

"Healing powers? You're no demon." As he spoke, Kakarot's wounds were starting to close.

"I only am, what I was told I was." The green boy spoke in riddles, something he wasn't a fan of, but from what he gathered, he wasn't an enemy. "Not far from here lies a tower. You have questions about me, there are answers there. Not only that, but there lies a way to heal Kakarot completely."

So there was something of interest on this planet, besides Bulma and the dragonballs. He knew he needed to find this healing item, it would be beneficial in the future. "What direction do I need to go?"

"Follow the rising sun when morning comes." The green boy said, taking his hand off of Kakarot. "I wish I could give him more, but that would deplete my own life."

"Why are you helping Kakarot?" This was the most important question. If this boy was connected to the other Piccolo, then why help Kakarot after the other attacked the boy?

"Because he didn't judge me. He showed me that I was weak, but at the same time revealed that I was left behind to die at his hand. He could have killed me, but he didn't. Instead, he wanted to show me that my father was a monster." The boy said, washing the blood off of his hands.

"So this King Piccolo is your father?" The boy nodded. "So we have one thing in common. My father won't be winning father of the year either." He almost joked. "I will find this healing item. Until then, can I trust you with Kakarot's life?"

The green boy nodded. He already liked this kid, not only was he a quiet one, but he was proving to be rather helpful.

"Then everyone needs to get some sleep, tomorrow is going to be one hell of a day." Roshi said from the corner, still leery of the younger Piccolo.

He hated having to leave Kakarot alone for the night, but he needed his rest. If he didn't he would be caught off guard and that we do neither of them any good.

"Chichi are you coming?" He heard Bulma ask. His eyes turned to the small girl as she started grabbing a blanket for Kakarot.

"No, I think I'll just stay up with him." The young girl was a mess of red, from what he could tell Chichi had taken an interest in Kakarot.

He watched as Bulma gave her a knowing smile before heading off to work on the ship again. Roshi walked past him into the kitchen, just as Piccolo did the same. Now it was just him and Gohan.

"Vegeta, I'm sorry." Gohan said sadly.

He growled. "You should be." His eyes turned back to Chichi. "If anything changes, find me."

She nodded, not looking up from Kakarot.

He stormed off into the hallway, heading towards the room that he once shared with Kakarot.

"Vegeta." That old man had followed him again.

"What do you want? Are you here to throw more salt in my wounds? You already tried to turn Kakarot against me, why should I feel any sympathy towards you now. Why should I trust you?" He said enraged.

"Because I was only trying to help him. He seemed so lost. Like he didn't know who he was." Gohan said quietly.

"He knew perfectly well who he was. He's my student and my future captain. What more did he need to know?" He growled.

"Is he just a title to you? If that's the case, then why are you so worried? He must be more than just another fighter to you." Gohan asked.

"I've been training him for 3 years, of course we would be close."

Gohan smiled, much to his annoyance. "I don't think you see him as a friend, instead it's more like how you would treat a little brother. Kakarot idolizes you. He wants to be as strong as you and you encourage him to try. As much as you try and say that you aren't friends, it's there. A bond that is stronger than that exists."

He raised an eyebrow. Did he really think of Kakarot that way? The boy was practically attached to him all of the time and they were both always working to get stronger. Would that explain his anger when the boy had ran off with Gohan? That he felt that the elder was trying to steal a sibling from him. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't argue against it. Somewhere over the years, he had grown attached to Kakarot in the same way that Raditz was attached to Tarble.

"In the morning, we will find that tower. I may have lost one sibling to war. I refuse to lose another."

To Be Continued….

Author's Note

 _Wow a chapter mainly from Vegeta's point of view. I haven't done one of those in a while. Poor Kakarot. I just keep doing horrible things to the younger Saiyans in this story, don't I?_


	36. Chapter 36

He barely slept that night, getting up every so often to look over Kakarot. The boy still didn't look too good.

Once in a while Kakarot would twist in his sleep, sweat dripping down his face as he cried out in pain. If only he knew how to do that blood transfusion thing that Raditz had done. Then maybe he could alleviate some of the pain the boy was in.

Chichi seemed to do a good job of calming him in his sleep, while he was left there helpless. He hated this feeling, when he came across King Piccolo, the demon would pay for making him fell this dread. For making him feel anything towards anyone.

He refused breakfast, wanting to start his journey with the sun that morning. It didn't matter anyway. The only one that was up was the younger Piccolo. He had taken over for Chichi, who was spent from the night before. As much as he didn't care for the harpy, she could be very loyal to those she cared about.

He walked toward the hatch, opening it and making sure it was closed before looking around him. The sun wasn't quite up yet, only the stars blanketed the sky. Roshi did say that he destroyed the moon.

The darkness was something that he expected, but never had he really gotten a good look at such a thing. Was this really what Tarble and Raditz got to see? And what did the sky look like with the moon in sight? Was it even more glorious than this?

He shook his head. This was the last thing he need to focus on right now. He had come out here for a reason. He had to track the sun after all.

To his right, he started to see the shift. The smallest line of light was starting to come from the ground. The sun was starting its ascent upward.

Looking around, he closed his eyes for a second, taking in all of the scents and sounds around him. King Piccolo had to smell like the younger one. The demon's scent would give him a clue if he was close to the man.

So far he found nothing, but he would keep his wits about him. Kakarot was caught off guard, he had no time to be foolish.

The sun was now peeking over the horizon. It was time for him to follow.

* * *

Tossing and turning was normal at this point. He didn't even remember much from the day before. After the darkness came and went, he could only put some of the pieces together.

The blood on the floor, the dead Tech-Tech, the words of betrayal that had escaped his lips, it all felt like a nightmare. One that was ever lasting in his mind.

In the past, he would have never listened to his father's words. He was better than that now. So why did he do it? Did some part of him want his father's approval? He shook his head. No, he was far beyond wanting the man's praise.

He looked down at his hands. Power. He had never really known such a thing. Was that what Vegeta felt when he had an entire planet at his mercy? It was so overwhelming and he had loved it. Now he wasn't so sure. He was the smart one, Vegeta was the fighter. They were happy that way.

'Are you sure you're happy, knowing that you are under him?' His mind asked him. He wasn't even sure it was his own thoughts anymore. It was as if someone else was asking him these questions. Someone bent one turning him against his brother.

He tried to banish the thoughts. He tried focusing on happier memories. The ones he knew that could shut whatever it was up. It stayed silent for only a couple of minutes as he thought over that day over and over again. They had just returned from Zera's Planet and the Commission.

He remembered his father trying his hardest to get him back into the awful room. He cringed at the thought, but Vegeta had stood between them before taking his hand and telling one of the housekeepers to move an extra bed into his room.

A smile came to his face as Vegeta showed him the castle for the first time. The world that was once small, was growing around him so rapidly. At the end of the tour, they arrived at his brother's room. After opening it, he found that then extra bed was for him. The closet had been split, along with a new wardrobe for himself.

All he could ask was why. His brother smirked as he looked over everything. After meeting Raditz earlier, he expected that his father would shut everything down. His excitement came at a price, as he didn't believe that his father would allow such a thing.

But Vegeta had over stepped his boundaries. It was the reason their father wanted him dead. Vegeta was a threat. His brother was always a threat, from the moment he was born. His brother was a beacon for change. Something he himself wanted and needed.

The Vegeta from the dream came forward, materializing in front of him. "But you are a failure. You disobeyed me. You are nothing but a pawn."

He blinked at it a couple of times. "No."

It cocked its head to the side. "What?"

He felt himself chuckle, how stupid had he become? This room, its power. It was nothing. He had allowed this to go on far enough. He could be tortured by his father, he could go out of his mind to the point of delusions, he could even kill an innocent man for no reason whatsoever, but the very idea of Vegeta thinking of him as a pawn was not only insulting, but it went against everything he knew about this brother. Vegeta didn't think of him as a pawn. The fact that he had even believed such a delusion made him ill.

"You can drop the act, Cuw. Only you would try something like this." He said sneering at the vision in front of him.

The vison fell, the fake Vegeta disappearing and a holo version of the other boy coming into view in its place. "I thoughtit would take longer for you to figure it out, but no matter. When I get the location of your base from my source, this war will be over, and me and my future mate will be sitting pretty. An upgrade to the elite status will also be in order." Cuw said chuckling slightly to himself.

He raised an eyebrow. "Now that you have me here, who is your source?"

"Like you don't know. I believe that a genius like you would have already figured it out." The boy said with an evil sneer. A cocky smirk formed on his face before he could stop it. "What's so funny?"

He laughed. "You really think that they would have gotten past Raditz?"

The other boy froze. "That third class prick was with you?"

"Did you really think that Raditz would have left my side? He is forever loyal to me and Vegeta. Knowing him, he would have your spy located in record time." He grinned as the boy began to sweat. "All he would have to do is expose her deception to the others and it would be game over for her. How unfortunate for you and Parle."

"How did you know it was…?" The other boy started.

"It was all too easy, she was the only one that could have done it. She just happened to make new scouters for us the night before and from what I can gather, it seems that they were running on the same tech that you are using right now." The boy looked beyond shocked. "Don't be so shocked. I was the head of engineering. I taught your precious Parle everything she knows, well what she knew. Knowing how Raditz is attached to me and all, it would be rather disastrous for her to be found out by him of all Saiyans."

With that the hologram looked around frantically, before pulling a scouter out of his pocket and speaking quickly. "Parle, I need you to come here as soon as possible. It's not safe, my love."

The connection stayed quiet for a short time before it clicked and a familiar voice cut through the feed. "I'm sorry, but she is kind of blacked out for the moment."

His smirk grew as the insanity in his mind finally fell. That voice would definitely have that effect. Just like the real Vegeta could, Raditz would be the only one that could fully reach him.

"What did you do to her?" Cuw almost screamed into the scouter before him. He was kind of surprised that the hologram was holding up. He would have to study that technology later.

Raditz remained calm. "Only what she deserved. She took Tarble's trust and used it. I just took her information and left the rest to rot."

"No…you're lying! She wouldn't have betrayed me!" Cuw yelled frantically into the scouter.

Raditz chuckled. "Your right, she didn't tell me anything willingly. I just took it from her, just like I took everything else from her." The laugh sent a chill down his spine. This meant that Parle had to be dead. Raditz had seen to her end.

He chuckled as Cuw fell to his knees. "Do you see it now? That your alliances were faulty. If only you had chosen to be loyal to Vegeta over my father, maybe things would have been different." He felt he change happen quickly this time. The last thing his father needed was someone smart. He reached into his mind and the darkness came forward.

Cuw was about to object when he started to claw at his throat. This would be fast. At least the boy's suffering would be short.

"Don't fight it Cuw. Just let go, this way you can be with you beloved." He said with a sneer. The boy just continued making that horrible garbling sound. "Raditz, are you still on the line?" He asked, hoping that Cuw hadn't disconnected it.

"Good to see that you're still sane. What are you doing to him?" Raditz asked. It was full of static but that was fine. At least he could make contact with the outside world.

He grinned to himself as Cuw finally went unconscious. "Nothing much. If I only knew the code I could get out of here."

"I think I can help you with that." Raditz said happily.

He could only smirk. "Then please, enlighten me."

* * *

He had flown after the sun almost all day. There had been no sign of a tower yet, nor had King Piccolo made his appearance known. The coward was probably out looking for his precious dragon balls. Too bad he wouldn't be able to find two of them. Nothing could get past Bulma's shielded bunker.

He hated to admit, but he was growing tired. With nothing to eat that morning and with him flying off for hours on end, chasing after a tower that may or may not exist was not only time consuming, but did nothing for his mind.

He hated feeling weak and that's what this situation made him feel. Watching Kakarot as he lied there motionless was just too hard to take. The same went with this thoughts concerning Tarble's imprisonment. He was too far away to help him. He had left his younger brother amongst an angry pack of wolves, most of which were out for blood. Tarble had to be scared. Now that he thought back on it, he remembered the boy's fear of him leaving. The terror in his eyes at the very thought of being left there without him to protect him. He should have known better. Tarble was smart, but book smarts only got you so far in this world. He knew nothing of politics and battle strategies. Sure, he could make the most of just about any situation and come out on top, but that could just be luck. Nothing more, nothing less, and from what Raditz had said, it seemed that Tarble's luck may have run out. He just hoped that by the time he returned, he could still reach him. That his father hadn't been able to turn him against him.

He blinked a couple of times, slightly confused as to what was running down his cheek. He touched his face, finding that it was only water. His eyes were wet. Again he blinked, there was no way that he was….crying. How far would his emotions push him now that he was having trouble locking them away? But he couldn't get mad about it. He was still focusing on what he could do to save both Tarble and Kakarot.

He squinted his eyes, trying to hold back the tears, as the tower came into view. As he got closer, he wondered how he had not seen it before. Looking up it seemed to go straight into the heavens.

He breathed a sigh of relief. At least now he could help Kakarot.

To Be Continued….

 _Author's Note_

 _So Tarble is going to try and break out, good to see that he isn't under his father's control…at least for now. Awe Vegeta, you do care, even if you will never admit it, lol._

 _Updates are going to be a little slower, as I will be moving in two weeks' time and I'm still packing up my things. Please bear with me. Hopefully we will be back to a full update schedule after I finish up moving and start school._


	37. Chapter 37

The code worked just as Raditz said it would. His friend wouldn't tell him the source of the information, but he figured that he could get that later. Now he just needed to focus on getting out of here.

Looking down both sides of the empty hall, he moved quickly. Cuw's body would be discovered and he didn't want to be around when that happened. His father had already seen his handy work. His father would come and check on his room, that was a certainty. The man would refuse to lose the hold that he almost had on him. If he was caught, he didn't know if he could face his own father. Killing Cuw was one thing, but the man was his father. Even if he had done nothing beneficial for him, he would not stoop to his level.

He creeped quickly, keeping his eyes and ears out for any signs of movement. All he had to do was find the tunnels and there would be no problem. Vegeta believed that their father didn't know about them, having discovered them before he was born.

His eyes scoured the walls. Looking for any signs of the markers. He knew where the one next to his and Vegeta's room was, but he didn't know where the others were, nor where it went. All he knew was what to look for. The mark was small, if one was not looking for it, they would not find it. The royal seal was already all over the palace, but in some the brinks there lay the seal in reverse. It wasn't too big to notice, heck Vegeta said that most of them were covered by tapestries and paintings. But he didn't have time to pull off every painting just to look for the seal. He would just have to look for it and hope for the best. He could try and make it over to the room that he shared with Vegeta, but it was on the other side of the palace and this place could be covered in guards at any moment. Not that he was scared of being found, but he had used a lot of energy in the last 24 hours. If he used that power again, he didn't know the effects it would have on his body. He already felt slightly light headed from the time before and doing it again didn't seem to help it.

He jumped as he heard a yell from down the hall. They knew he was out. Scrambling under a table, he watched from behind the veil over it, as the hall filled with people. He recognized most of the room actually. Most of them were men close to his father, who was nowhere in sight.

The largest of the men had to be his least favorite. A bumbling idiot and the brother of that moron Nappa. He also gagged as the man walked by the table. The man was known for his lack of hygiene and he didn't know how anyone could work with him. Bochoy still had some of his hair, but it was rather matted for an elite. If he had any say in any of this, that family would be below a fourth class. They weren't very strong, they didn't look the part, nor did they act the part. They were cocky bunch that didn't deserve their rank and they knew it. Other families deserved that shot.

He tried to cover his nose. What had that idiot been rolling in? He smelled almost as bad as Zera's hidden room. He cringed as his eyes began to water, but noted that he wasn't the only one that wanted to get away from the lug. The three men that surrounded the giant were grimacing at him.

"Bo, we need to find the King. He will want to know about the boy's demise." The spiky haired one to the right said, breathing only through his mouth.

The giant let out a huff. "I don't see the big deal. Those weaklings won't live long anyway. They are pretty much useless without a power level."

The one to the left shook his head as the spiky haired one spoke again. "King Vegeta will want to know. The boy was in charge of Prince Tarble's room."

Another huff. "I really don't get why our King sees any potential in that boy. Same with his brother. Prince Vegeta would have done fine if he had just stayed away from that runt. But no, that child caused the boy to be weak and now we are paying for it."

He one on the left nodded. "If I could, I would go back in time and get rid of the runt myself, but our lord seems to want him to replace Prince Vegeta. I don't understand why. The child knows nothing of our ways."

"And he never will. I bet he will die just like Cuw did. He'll probably just die on the spot. Maybe then we can get a better heir to the throne." The giant said spitting in the corner.

"If he was dead, maybe Prince Vegeta would see the errors of his ways and come to his senses. Those without power levels belong at the bottom."

He was trying his hardest not to growl at the men. The way they were speaking about not only him but the entire population that was like him, was filling him with rage. Did they really think that his life was the only thing that was making his brother turn against their father? Vegeta wasn't stupid. He knew what he was doing. All these idiots wanted was power. Power that would never belong to them.

The laughter in the hallway was silenced as another group of men made their way through.

"Report, what are you doing down here?" He froze. His father was only a couple of meters away.

He could tell from the rustling around that they were quick to salute the man and they're attitudes had changed completely.

"Bochoy!" He could hear a hint of disgust in his father's voice.

"Yes, my majesty?" He wanted to laugh at the man's tone. His gruff voice had gone up a couple of pitches.

"When was the last time you bathed?" So the old man was going to go there.

"Oh, we just got back from a scouting mission. I haven't had time, my lord."

What a lie that was. What kind of scouting mission had them running all over the palace? "That does not excuse your smell. Remember to focus on that in the future."

"Yes sir!" It sounded like the man had been dismissed and the crowd was starting to move out of the hallway.

But strangely enough, no one said anything to his father about Cuw's death. Did his father already know about the other boy's fall?

He waited a little longer, hoping that they would all clear out of the hallway, but one stayed behind. Slowly, he could see the hand coming down on the veil that covered the table. His heart was raging inside his chest. What would his father do to him if he was discovered? He would be back to square one. He didn't trust his body enough to try and reach that power again. I may kill him before he even had a chance.

"I have one question." He froze up, his hand digging into the table as the cover flew off of it. His father was smirking down at him confidently. "How did you finish off Cuw from your room?"

When he didn't speak, his father came forward. Attempting to grab him. All he could do was push himself closer to the wall, but that was no use. He was pulled up and now his father was looking him in the eye, holding him eye level with him.

"Are you going to answer me?" His father looked like he was trying to remain calm.

Before he could stop himself, he answered with a snide remark. "That's two questions."

His father growled. "Tarble, you will answer me now."

He growled himself. "You already know the answer, so why are you asking." He shouldn't have said anything, because the way his father's expression had changed and it did not bode well with him.

"So you ended his life like the Tech-Tech then?" His father smirked. "Tell me Tarble. How did that make you feel?"

He really didn't want to be here. He tried to pull that power forward, but he couldn't. All he could do was speak with the man. "I don't know." He lied. He didn't need the man trying to get on his good side again. He would not be taken in by his false words and attempts to coddle him.

To his surprise, he felt himself being held again as his father made it towards the dining room. His father chuckled. "I think you know. You just don't understand it. Killing is still something new to you."

He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at his father's words. The man only knew of Nappa, the Tech-Tech, and now Cuw. He knew nothing about his actions on Zera's planet.

But his expressions came at a price, as his father gave him a questioning look. "Unless there is something that you are keeping from me. Did you kill someone before Nappa? And if you did, how long ago was it?" The man's voice was still surprisingly calm. Every word had been spoken evenly, with no hint of anger or anything else for that matter.

Again, before he could stop himself, he nodded. Why couldn't he refuse his father? That should have been the easiest thing to do in the world, but couldn't do it. His eyes also refused to change, no matter what he tried. As he was locked in those arms, he was helpless. He mumbled an answer, but all he got was a raised eyebrow. "It was a long time ago."

His father put him down and it was then that he realized that he didn't even know what room they were in. He had never been here. His father sat down across from him. "Why don't you tell me about it?"

He leaned back against the wall. Sitting on the small bed in the room. "There isn't much to tell." He lied, but his father wasn't having any of that.

"You killed someone before Nappa. I just want to know when you did it. I don't think that it is too much of a question." He watched his father cross his arms and lean into his own chair.

He looked away. How would his father react to knowing the truth about why he lost his alliance to Frieza? The rebellion had embraced that truth, but he couldn't see his father having the same reaction. Heck, he really didn't want to tell him anything. He wanted to get out of here. He needed to be get back to his post.

"Your brother was younger when he got his first kill as well. Just like him, I got to miss yours. Why don't you share it?" His father's voice was starting to become annoyed. That was a good thing. He wasn't going to give in to his words, he wasn't a weakling.

"Because it's my business." He said crossing his own arms and glaring daggers back at the man.

His father chuckled. "You know, I really thought that we had moved past this. You have no reason to treat me this way. I wasn't the one that left you behind in my pursuit for power."

"You're right. You were the one that wanted to keep me locked away from the world like I was shit on the boot of your shoe. Heaven forbid that you don't have a family that does everything that you say." He snarled.

His father's cocky smile disappeared, replaced with a deep frown. "I only wanted what was best for you. You were weak then. Now you are strong."

"You thought that I was useless. You only see value in me now that I have something you don't." He wished that he could call his power forward, but it still stayed back. If only he knew how to control it, it had seemed so easy back when he choked Cuw, now he couldn't even get himself to see the red.

"Is that really a bad thing? That is the way of our people. But maybe it is time for a change." His father jumped up from his chair and to his confusion, made his way to a bookcase. He expected this room to be an updated version of his old one, but the fact that there were books was startling to him. He watched as his father grabbed a book and threw it in front of him. "Have you ever seen this writing before?"

He looked down at the book, part of him not wanting to touch it, knowing that was what his father wanted. He wouldn't have gotten it if he didn't. So that meant something important was in it. But that only made him curious. Could it be a Tuffle history like the one Onna had or was it something else?

Not thinking, he reached forward taking the book in his hands and opening cover. It was practically falling apart, so it could either be old or just be a new book that was heavily damaged. As he looked over the first page, he was struck by what was before him. There were no words, only pictures lined up together almost like they were saying something. He started to feel somewhat excited. The writing could be from Ve and Tar's time. If they could decipher it, they could discover the lost history of their people.

"Is it that interesting?" His father said with a small smile.

"Where did you get this?" He asked, revealing his excitement in a way he wished he hadn't.

His father chuckled. "I have my sources. One of my men said that his daughter was obsessed with it."

It had to belong to Onna. She was the only person that he knew that had a volume of their history. She may even know how to read it. "While it is interesting, I have no idea what it says. Languages and writing are not my specialty. If it was a computer system, I would know more."

His father nodded. "Yes, the girl didn't look too happy about it getting handed over."

He laughed. "That's because she can read it." He covered his mouth and cursed himself as his father gave him an evil smile.

"So there is someone that can figure it out." His father let out a dark chuckle. "If she does well enough, she could be a candidate for you."

He gave his father a confused look. "What?"

"Any heir of mine, needs to produce heirs." His father said with a serious look on his face.

He blinked a couple of times. "No…just no." He said annoyed with the very thought of it. Onna had a thing for Raditz. If it wasn't for her betrayal, he probably would have gone with Parle. 'What about Gure?' He thought in the back of his mind. He shook his head. She was a Tech-Tech and while they were alike, he couldn't see it working.

"Do you have another Queen in mind?" His father said, watching his every move.

"No! Because I'm not your heir! Vegeta is!" He almost yelled at the man.

His father chuckled. "With the power you have, will you be satisfied with staying by your brother's side as he leads? What if he does something you don't agree with? What if Vegeta gets to the throne and leaves you in the dust?"

It was his turn to chuckle. "I know he won't do that. Vegeta has more class than you."

SMACK! He felt the pain, looking up at his captor. He had been smacked across the face.

He could see out of the corner of his eyes that his father's arm was raised against him again. This time he ducked off the bed, sliding under it as the man began to pull it apart.

He felt himself start to shake frantically. Fear was seeping in and all he could do was lay there and wait for his father to get to him.

As the bottom layer was pulled off, he felt himself get pulled up into the air and thrown against the wall. "Do you really think that you're funny, huh!"

He tried to get his bearings, but his father was too quick as he felt the man's boot holding him down.

He wanted to cry out, but couldn't even make a sound. His father had hit him before, but he had never been his violent with him. "You didn't answer me. Do you find yourself funny, Tarble?"

He could barely shake his head. The foot on his back was pushing in making it hard to breathe.

"Where is your brother now? Is he here to save you Tarble? He has left you here to die and you refuse to see this." The foot pushed down more and he could feel something crack. He let out a cry in pain, feeling the tears as they began to stream from his eyes. His father laughed. "Maybe this is for the best. I can find a better female than your lousy mother and start over. Maybe then I can have a child that bends to my will!"

The pain had his body on fire, his broken rib was stabbing into him and he could feel the fragments of his bones piercing his insides. He wanted to scream, but the sound wouldn't come out. The world around him was fading, darkness began to creep in around him as he blacked out.

* * *

It was cold and for some reason he was wet. He's eyes felt heavy as he tried to open them.

His eyes flashed open as he remembered what had happened. Was he dead? He pinched his side. No, he could still feel pain, but what had happened? Looking down at himself, he found himself covered in water. His chest still hurt, from his broken rib.

His eyes dashed to the world around him. This wasn't the palace. This wasn't even one of the tunnels. How did he get here? Wasn't he just on the verge of death? How was he walking around and how did he survive?

They must have thought him dead and threw him down into a sewer line. He knew he had to get out of here and back to the base. The sewer water would cause an infection, especially with all of the open cuts that he had.

He scrambled through the water, fighting through the pain. He had no choice. He had to return to base. He had to see his brother again. He had to make sure that this war ended with his brother as the King. It was his responsibility.

Within an hour, he found an opening. It lay only on the outskirts of the city. Night had over taken the planet. The stars and moon were out. He would be safe this night.

He reached up and started to move his arm, when he felt something odd. He examined his arm. He felt the hard metal under his skin. A chip maybe. They were tracking his whereabouts. A slight bit of panic over took him for a second. He couldn't go back to base until the device was removed. He looked around for a stick or a piece of metal. This would ensure that he got an infection, but he had no choice. Grabbing a piece of metal from the water, he sliced open his arm to find the chip, he removed it, but didn't toss it in the water. No, he needed to find a new carrier. One that would lead them away from the base.

With a strangled laugh, he grabbed a rat that was trying to make it through the sewers. It thrashed in his arms but he held it against him. Even as it bit his hand, he took the tracker that was no bigger than a pill and forced the thing to swallow it. He carried it a short distance before releasing it into the wild.

He watched it leave in the opposite direction of where he was headed and smiled before heading off. He knew most of this country now. He could judge his distance with the stars and he knew where he was going. The base was a good distance out and with it being night, there would be scouts but not this far out.

Hours into his trip, he was feeling very weak. When was the last time he had a drink? He could feel his body braking down from both his injury and the bacteria. He was worried that he would die out in the middle of nowhere and Vegeta and Raditz would never know anything about what happened to him.

Panic began to set in, even as he walked past a familiar grouping of trees. He was only about five miles out at this point, but that meant nothing. He wanted to be closer. To at least see the base and his friend before passing out again into the darkness.

He stopped, sliding his back against a tree. His breathing was growing rather shallow. He knew he had to be bleeding internally. He was lucky it didn't hit a major artery.

All he wanted was some sleep, he was exhausted. But he had to keep going. He couldn't die here and if he slept, he would surely die.

He pulled himself up again, his broken rib stabbing him as he stood. He could taste blood in his mouth, but he kept going. He had to get back.

His feet hurt, he was now coughing up blood, and the pain was ever growing. His muscles were locking up from the lack of food and water. He was growing dehydrated while losing blood.

He'd heard stories from Raditz about the how Zera would do that to children that she deemed boring. He had always thought that it was one of the better ways to die. He was wrong. It was far worse than he imagined.

He strode around a boulder. In front of him, he recognized the area around him. He only had a couple of meters to go, but he fell to his knees. He couldn't move. His muscles had locked up completely.

"Tarble?" He heard a voice next to him. His looked up to find Raditz standing in front of him.

He gave his friend a tired smile. "I told you I would come back."

"I knew you would. Let's get you inside and cleaned up." Raditz said, picking him up. He had forgotten that his friend was getting rather tall.

As he was carried back into the base. He passed out. Safe at long last.

To Be Continued….

 _Author's Note_

 _Damn….I really put Tarble through a lot this chapter. I know this was long and we only got Tarble this chapter, but it was kind of hard to break this up. The next chapter will take place on the same day, only from Vegeta's POV and it will be the same length as this one._

 _So why didn't Tarble's new power work when he was faced with his father? That reason will revealed later in the story. Remember Raditz hasn't used his power again either._

 _I'm still moving. Thank you for bearing with me as I go from one state to another. I lost internet for a couple of days so all I could do was type, but I couldn't post anything. The next chapter is half way finished, but I don't know when it will come out, due to the move and the craziness of trying to get everything moved._


	38. Chapter 38

So this was the tower that the green boy told him about. Looking up, he noted that the top was completely obscured by clouds. This would be quite a long fly up. Nothing he couldn't manage.

He jumped up. Ready to head up into the sky. He smirked. Whoever thought about having their secret temple up here didn't take flying into account. He guessed it wasn't a skill that was taught at birth. Most Saiyans learned to fly before they could walk. Only in cases like Tarble and Raditz was this ignored. One could not fly without knowing their energy level. The ki that Gohan spoke of must have been the same thing. Some of the humans had learned to sense it and use it to their advantage. He was reminded of the triclopes that had attacked him. That assassin and his associate knew how to use it. Not that it wasn't able to help him in the long run, it was useful information for later. If humans could use the same power sources as themselves, then he and Bulma would have no trouble in producing a strong heir to his empire.

He was about ten miles up when the wind started to pick up. So they had accounted for people like him after all.

He stopped midair and looked up seeing that the air currents only picked up more from here. Not only that, but it seemed to be raining. And not a light drizzle either. It was pouring. What was bizarre was that the storm seemed to stop just above him. Like there was a barrier between him and the conditions above.

He scowled, there was only one option. He had to climb up the tower, much to his annoyance. There was no way around it. The wind barrier seemed too much and from what he could tell, the rain seemed to veer slightly away from the tower itself.

He grumbled as he took hold of the side and started the long climb up. He had to remember why he was doing this. 'The cure. Kakarot needs that cure.' He had no idea how tall this thing was or how long it would take, but he had to focus getting what he needed. This obstacle was just another test on his road to the throne. He could not fail. He had to get to the top.

Grabbing up the sides and being sure of his footing came naturally to him. He almost forgot that they evolved from apes, but now that he was getting into a stride with it, it was as if it was no problem. His tail was like an extra hand as it grabbed onto the pole, keeping him steady. Just in case, he lost his footing or the side of the pole crumbed under his hand. It didn't look like it would though. It seemed to be well taken care of. He was kind of surprised. So far no human on this planet was a decent challenge. How could they have preserved a tower like this? If they were the ones that did. The younger Piccolo knew about it so maybe it had something to do with the demons, which were looking more and more like a certain race of aliens he had run into during his meetings with the commission. But they were a peaceful bunch. It was kind of hard to imagine a Namakian like the elder Piccolo. Sure, they had fighters, but they were limited to being protectors of the villages, some were in charge of protecting the elders. He had never heard of a rogue Namakian, but there was a first time for everything.

He passed by the horrible weather, from the angle he was at, it looked almost like he was staring through a window at it, as it bounced off of some kind of barrier. Not a single drop hit him, to his amazement. How was such a thing possible?

But he didn't have time to question he strange weather. Now if he looked down, he could see the tops of the dark clouds, they flashed from time to time. There must have been some lightening in there. He probably couldn't hear the thunder due to the barrier.

As he looked down, he reached up, finding a small hole. He entered the hole, to find a small house maybe. How did someone live all the way up here?

It was larger on the inside, but he had to admit that he wasn't really paying that much attention. The storm and his thoughts had distracted him on the way up.

"So someone has finally shown up. I was wondering if I would ever see anyone again." He turned around quickly, expecting a human or Namakian, but what he saw made little sense.

It was small, white, and covered in hair. It had a long tail like he did, but it didn't seem to serve the same purpose. The top of his head had two small pointy ears sticking out.

"You look like you've never seen a cat before." The cat said.

He arched an eyebrow. "Cat?"

"An animal of Earth. I take it that you aren't from here." The cat said giving him a small smirk. He felt irritated. What was this thing and what was it doing here?

"Yes, I'm not from this planet. I was sent here to look for a source of healing." He almost growled. He wanted to knock that smirk off of the cats face. It thought it was so smart.

His words seemed to peak the cats interest though. "How do you know about the senzu beans?"

"Does that really matter?" He found himself loathing this creature more by the second.

"How do I know you have pure intentions? What I have up here could be disastrous if left in the wrong hands." The cat said with a sneer.

He almost growled. "The world below you was already left to rot. I think all motives are null in void."

The cat's face scrunched up. "What are you talking about?"

He felt himself chuckle. "So here you were all high and mighty, and you don't even know what has been happening down there? The Earth that you knew is no more. An army took over and destroyed almost everything. At this moment, the demon known as Piccolo has risen from his slumber. My comrade was hit going after him. He needs a cure fast and I have no time for your strange questions of morality. If you have ignored the damages below you then you have no right to stand in my way!"

The cat seemed taken aback by his outburst. It didn't expect to be talked to in such a manor. It looked like it was used to respect. Something he would never give the feline. "How am I to know about the outside world? I'm all the way up here!"

"That is of no concern to me. Now will you give me the cure I'm here for or will I have to take by force." He said with a sinister smile.

The cat froze as it looked him over. It knew what it was up against. It had no choice. He would get the cure for Kakarot, whether he liked it or not. Its former arrogance quickly became fear. "If you want the senzu then follow me."

He crossed his arms as an arrogant smirk came over his face. "That's more like it." The cat turned its back and walked back into its home and he followed behind. Even though he had the cat fearing for its life, he didn't trust the beast. For all he knew, the creature would try and give him a poison over an antidote. "Just remember that if you deceive me, I will not hesitate to kill you. Kakarot's life it worth more to me than your life ever will be."

"This Kakarot must me important." The cat said, not stopping.

He almost growled. "That is none of your business. Just get me these senzu things and I'll be on my way."

"He must be a close friend for you to go to all of this trouble to get the senzu."

"If you want gossip look elsewhere. As I said, get me the cure and I will leave." He snapped.

The cat laughed. "You can't fault me for being curious. I don't get many visitors."

"Whose fault is that?" He growled.

"If I were to leave, then you would take care of the senzu plant? The plant would most surely shrivel up and die." The cat turned around, a look of panic on its face.

"Surely, you can leave for a couple of hours. The plant won't just die…"

"But it will. That is why I am here. Not just as a guardian of the senzu, but so it will survive." The cat side, its voice kind of hollow.

"Look are you going to give me the beans or not. I'm not here to listen to your life story." He said getting annoyed.

The cat chuckled. "Your intentions seem pure. They are for your friend, so I see no harm."

He smirked to himself as the plant came into view. The cat started picking multiple beans off of the stock. "How many I need to cure Kakarot?"

"Only one, but you'll need more if you're facing King Piccolo." The cat answered.

"So you know about Piccolo then." Maybe now he could get some answers. The elder Piccolo at this point was a mystery. Sure, he had to look like an elder version of the child Piccolo, but all he knew about the man in question were some facets of his character and a little about his past.

The cat nodded. "I know some, but if you want to know more, I say go back to the outside of this tower. You can fly up from there. There is not another array of storms past this point. If you go up there, he will find you and tell you everything you need to know about King Piccolo."

Now his curiosity was spiked. What could possibly be living up there or was this cat sending him on a wild torsla chase?

The cat handed him a small bag, full of the beans. "That is if you have the time. If you go now, will your friend live?"

He thought over the cat's words. Kakarot was indeed a mess, but Chichi seemed to be doing a good job, as was the younger Piccolo. He nodded more to himself than the cat. Kakarot was a Saiyan. There was no way that he would die from his injuries. He had seen other Saiyans survive worse.

He took the bag from the cat, turning his back to the creature. "So you're going to go see him then?"

He didn't say anything to the creature, only moving forward towards the exit of the hollow. His business with the cat was done.

Before the cat could say another word, he jumped from the hole and flew upward. The man that lived up here had information on the monster he was looking for. Any information would be useful.

As he flew up a strange round block came into view. He weaved around the sides, flying at an angle until he could finally see the island in the sky.

He smirked to himself. So this is where the man lived. He already thought that the cat had strange living arrangements but this was out of this world. How the hell did this guy get any food? The cat had to live off of those beans, but what was this guy producing? The round island had what looked to be a temple of some sort on it and around it there were a lot of plants, but none looked to be edible.

"Why have you come here?" He turned quickly, facing a man with dark skin with a turban. Was this the man he came for?

"I came here to learn more about a being known as King Piccolo." He said crossing his arms.

The man looked quite taken aback at his statement. "I don't know what you are talking about. That thing has been locked away for centuries and I refuse to let him go free because a child wants to see it for himself."

He was about to let out a snarl at the man with the turban, when the door to the temple opened and an elderly man with green skin came out and looked down at him. "So my other half has escaped his prison?"

He had no idea what the elder was saying, but from the look of him, he knew that he was just like the younger Piccolo. His suspicions of them all really being from Namak was growing. He seriously doubted that they were demons in the first place.

"So you know of my origins. It has been a long time since I've been able to say anything about what I am." The elder said.

"How did you know what I was thinking?" He didn't feel comfortable with this man being able to pry into his brain.

"It is only one of the gifts I was given upon becoming a God of this planet. They call me Kami now, but in my past life I was known as Piccolo." The man called Kami now, said leaning on his staff.

"Become a God?" Was such a thing possible? If so, how would one even go about doing that? And what did Kami mean by his past life?

Kami let out a small laugh. "In my youth, I was a fighter for Earth, but a part of myself began to think of only the glory and never about the people that truly mattered. That part of me was holding me back, so I separated from it. Soon after I became the God of Earth, but not at a price. I didn't know at the time, but that darker part of myself became vengeful. Wanting nothing more than to destroy the peace I had created. After he was sealed away, I chose to look after the Earth, but keep my distance."

He quirked an eyebrow. "What about Red Ribbon? Wasn't that a good enough reason to intervene?"

"You're a prince, are you not?" Kami asked.

He nodded, wondering where the green elder was going with this.

"As a leader, you can't answer every person's wishes. My job is to be the guardian of this Planet, but I cannot intervene when there are others that can rise up to the challenge. In my youth, I intervened quite a bit and it truly made no difference. Hazards always came to Earth and whether I stopped them from happening all hinged on whether not a young hero was ready to take over for me. As you can see, I have grown old. My strength is not what it used to be. I could have taken care of Red Ribbon, but if I did than how could I look for my successor? I know it sounds selfish, but that's how the world works. You can't pander to everyone's needs." The elder said sadly.

"And have you found a successor, after all of those people down there died as you searched?!" He said, anger rising in his voice.

He watched the elder smile. "That I have. My time is coming to an end anyway. Once my other half dies, I will pass on as well and the Dragonballs will fade into nothingness."

His eyes went wide. "Your life is attached to the Dragonballs? What if Earth needs them?"

The old man looked away from him. "All those things have ever done is cause panic and destruction. I created them with the hopes that pure hearted people would use them, but that blew up in my face. Anyone can become greedy when they have the power to wish for anything they want. I can see that you have been thinking, you and your injured comrade were thinking of using them for your own gain as well."

"I thought about it, that I will admit, but I see no honor in using the balls for power." He said, confusing the old man.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I originally thought about gaining the power of the Super Saiyan with them, but as you must know, due to your habit of looking at my thoughts, I gained that power on my own. Now that I look back at that, I can see that I was foolish. My accomplishment wouldn't have been my own. My pride, the pride of my people would have diminished." He said, seeing that he had impressed the God.

"Okay, child. What would you do with the balls if you had them now?" Kami asked.

He thought back to his home planet. His worries for concerning his younger brother came to the surface and for the first time, he could feel Kami moving around in this thoughts.

"So you would save your younger brother from your father. Can you not do that yourself?" The god asked.

"As you can see, I am here on Earth. Planet Vegeta is quite a distance from here. I can't just teleport across the galaxy." He said, not meaning for the sadness to creep into his voice.

Kami looked passed him, up at the falling sun. "You fear losing him more than anything else. Why is that?"

"Why ask me questions, when you can just read my mind? It hasn't stopped you so far." He said on edge.

"It has nothing to do with power, I can see that much. But you have that part of your mind shielded from the outside world. You see you're reasoning as a weakness, don't you?" The elder asked.

He tried to shake his head, but he knew it was true. His brother had a hold on him, not that Tarble would ever use his weakness to his advantage. His brother didn't even know that he had that hold over him, but he did.

"Caring for you sibling does not make you weak." Kami said, giving him a small smile. "The same goes for the boy known as Kakarot. It is okay to care for people and not think of them as pawns. If you did that you would be no different than your father."

He felt himself look up, almost questioning how the man knew his father. Of course, Kami could see his memories. He knew what his father had done.

"Now as much as I would love to continue this conversation, you have other matters to attend to." Kami said, pointing to the pouch of beans that were still in his hand. "Come back here with the one called Kakarot and the younger Piccolo. I will show you where to find my other half and maybe then you can put me to rest."

He nodded. Walking back to the edge. "I will return in two days' time."

"Good, now go. Kakarot is waiting for those beans."

With that he took off. Not flying straight downward, due to the storms below. Instead he took straight off across the sky, back in the way that he had come. The sun was now setting in front of him. All he had to do was follow it.

To Be Continued….

 _Author's Note_

 _So there goes Vegeta's adventure to get the senzu beans. It's not as long as the Tarble chapter was but it's still longer than a lot of chapters in this fic._

 _FYI, the weather that is happening around the tower is based on an actually kind of perception known as verga. Normally verga is light rain that evaporates before it makes to us._

 _Good news is that I am finally moved in to my new place and updates can finally be twice a week again, starting next week. (I still got to put up all of my crap). Thank you for being patient as I went through this process!_


	39. Chapter 39

His flight back to the bunker passed without incident. For once, he was glad that he didn't come across Kakarot's attacker. The boy needed the cure and he had wasted enough time.

He entered the code and jumped down after closing the latch. It was pretty late at night, it was no surprise that everyone was asleep.

He turned down the hall to the room where Chichi and Piccolo had been caring for Kakarot. Reaching the room, he saw the young girl looking down at him. Kakarot was still unconscious. He watched as Chichi began to change his bandages. They were covered in blood. Apparently, Kakarot's wounds were refusing to close. Hopefully these beans did the trick.

He walked in the room, catching her eye as he entered. Now that he was closer to her, he could see that she was crying.

"Did..sniff…did..you bring it?" She said sadly.

He nodded, pulling the bag that he had stuffed under his armor out and tossing it to her. "He only needs one."

She didn't even look at him as she took one bean from the bag and forced it into Kakarot's mouth. "I just hope this works. I've tried everything."

He stayed stiff. He still didn't care much for the harpy, but he couldn't say that she wasn't committed.

Looking down, he waited. Watching for any sign of change in Kakarot. Anything just a twitch would be enough.

* * *

His whole body hurt, like he swore he had been punched over a thousand times. All he could remember was going after Chichi and then the pain. Nothing more, nothing less.

Every once and while, he could hear Chichi say something. Most of it sounded like weeping, with her saying the words. "I'm sorry." Over and over again. What did she have to be sorry for? Well, besides treating him like crap. It wasn't like anything she did had any effect on him.

As he laid there, he felt his mouth being forced open. Why was that? Something was placed in his mouth, but he couldn't really get a taste on it. The pain seemed to cloud any and all senses.

Suddenly, a strange warmth spread throughout his body. He felt the pain start to fade out. Was this the end? Panic set in. Did she give him something poisonous? Was that way she was always apologizing? What would Vegeta do without him? Or did the Prince order his destruction due to his weakness? There was no way that he would want him around after he had failed against such a weak foe. He was no longer of any use to the Prince.

The warmth spread as he prepared himself for the next life. His eyes felt heavy as he tried to open them, the light around him incredibly bright. Slowly, he opened his eyes and the world around him came into focus.

The room only looked bright for a couple of seconds, but in fact it was very dark. To his right, he could see Chichi looking at him with tears in her eyes. How could she be here if he was dead?

His eyes darted around the room, before he realized he was in the bunker. Slowly, he sat up, but he felt no pain whatsoever. All this did was confuse him. How could this be? He swore he was bleeding out, but now that he looked down at his arm, he could see that it was all closed up. There wasn't even a scar!

He was about to ask what was going on, when he was grabbed tightly into a hug. Chichi let out a sniffle and he could feel her tears on his shoulder.

He looked around the room, surprised to find Vegeta standing there. He had to be dreaming or hallucinating. Vegeta looked relieved, his eyes slightly glassy. That couldn't be right. The Prince couldn't have been that worried about him.

"Chichi give him some room." The Prince said, moving closer.

He felt Chichi remove herself from him. "I bet you're hungry. I'll be put something together real quick!" She said, leaping from the bed before he had a chance to ask her anything. Leaving him alone with the Prince.

Vegeta sat on the side of the bed and he couldn't hold it anymore. "I'm sorry, Vegeta." He couldn't even look at the Prince.

"What are you apologizing for?!" The Prince sounded almost livid.

He refused to look up, after all of the dishonor he had given not only his family but himself. "I fell to a weak enemy. I understand if you want to find a better person to act as your Captain." He said, his voice cracking.

The Prince growled as he felt his face pushed forward, the Prince was forcing him to look him in the eye. "Where the hell did you get an idea like that?! You were caught off guard! Anyone would have made that mistake!"

He felt the tears start to well up in his eyes. "But…"

"No buts Kakarot! You have survived and that is all I could ask of you. You're only a child. You have limits." Vegeta said to his disbelief.

"But I failed you!" He said as the tears finally broke free.

He made to argue, but again he was pulled into a tight hug. "You did no such thing. Stop speaking such nonsense. You almost died Kakarot. I think there are more important things to be worrying about."

He tried to shake his head. Was he really hearing this? There was no way that Vegeta would be this forgiving.

The Prince pulled away from him, clearly not used to showing his emotions. "Just don't scare me like that again!"

With that he nodded, speechless. Did this mean that he could stay by the Prince's side and be his Captain?

"Now, we have a lot to discuss. After all, we have some important training coming up." The Prince said with a small smirk.

That perked his interest, the last time they had trained together was back on Planet Vegeta. "What are we going to do?"

"There is an island in the sky. Once there, we will be trained by the god of this planet. He wants King Piccolo to be destroyed. Do you think you're up for that?" Vegeta asked.

He almost jumped out of bed in excitement. He could redeem his honor after all. "When do we leave?"

The Prince chuckled. "Tomorrow afternoon. I promised him that we would seem him in two days' time."

He wanted to ask more, but his stomach lurched as an amazing smell wafted through the air. His head even snapped off in the direction of the smell and he almost ignored Vegeta all together.

"Smells like Chichi has your dinner ready. We'll discuss this later. Go stuff yourself." Vegeta said giving him a smile, before his stomach lurched as well.

"Sounds like your hungry too. Come on, you've haven't had any of Chichi's food. She can really cook!" He said almost dragging the Prince after him.

* * *

He watched the blinking lights. Tarble hadn't woken up yet, which really wasn't a surprise. He had to monitor him almost 24 hours now. Not only did he have a lot of eternal bleeding, but all of his open wounds were full of infections. The boy's had a fever and he was on constant blood transfusions at the moment.

It took him a long time to reset his ribs into place and he had just about every Saiyan come in and ask to donate their blood. Which was surprising as most of them hated the medical wing.

His father had taken over most of the issues with the army, while he was here looking over his friend.

Since finding Tarble, he hadn't slept, taking care of every single one of his injuries. The other boy was hard to look at. He had not only lines for fresh blood, but he had a feeding tube in and an IV going. He had an oxygen line running as well, just in case. The boy seemed to be breathing on his own, but he didn't want to take that risk.

His eyes tried to close on him, but he refused. Going over to a station and grabbing a stimulant. He couldn't afford to fall sleep. No one else could do this. They didn't know what to do. The smarter Saiyans that came with them only knew some basic medical procedures and knew nothing of these drip lines or the calculations needed.

Some may have seen this as an opportunity to learn, but he wasn't about to let them use Tarble like a lab rat. There was too much at stake for them to be experimenting with the younger prince.

He watched the other boy twitch in his unconscious state. There was no way that Tarble was just sleeping. His brainwaves would have indicated that.

Looking to the clock, he saw that it was time to change the other boy's bandages.

He got into the cabinet and got out some fresh ones, just as the door slammed open.

He turned and growled as a couple of the smart ones he sent away came in. "I told you all that this area was off limits. Prince Tarble cannot be exposed to outside bacteria. His infections are already taking a toll. He doesn't need any more to deal with."

"But Raditz, we want to help! You look like your about to fall over." One of the boy's argued.

He growled, arguing was the last thing he expected. "Just go back to your stations."

"Look, we aren't leaving. Show us what to do. You don't need to do this on your own." A young girl said.

He shook his head, he hated accepting help. He didn't need anyone's help, he could do everything without their help.

"Maybe if we work together, we can get him to wake up. We can only increase his rate of survival!" The girl argued.

He snarled. "You don't even know where to start! How could you be of any help to him?!"

"Then show us!" The boy said, pushing back.

"Tarble is not an experiment! I will not have anyone treating him like a test subject!" He growled.

To his surprise, the girl grabbed his hand. "We know he's not an experiment. We just want to help. Let us help you save him."

He looked her in the eye, looking for any sign of deceit in her words. He found none. Looking about the room, he found that they all had the same determined look on their faces. "Are you sure that you want to do this? It won't be pretty."

"We understand. We didn't go into medical study if we didn't understand the risks." The boy said, leaning against the wall.

For the first time in 24 hours, he smiled. "Then welcome aboard." He pointed at the two closest to the door. "Get that door closed, it's been opened for far too long." He then gestured to the other two that had said nothing. "You two get started on changing Prince Tarble's bandages." They nodded and got to work. His eyes landed on the two that had spoken with him. "Let me run the medication reports with you two." Even as he said this, he kept his eyes on the others.

"So do he have a corphine drip going?" The boy asked, looking over the charts that he had made in his spare time.

"The bag has to be changed every two hours. Just like his bandages." He almost got distracted. He had almost forgotten about the corphine. Maybe they were right. He couldn't do this alone.

One form across the room, had heard their conversation. "How do you change the bag?"

He walked over and did himself, noting that they all watched his every move.

"Where did you learn all of this stuff? All we have are some holo's to learn from." The same boy asked.

He shook his head. "Some things in this life are better kept a secret. Now, why don't you help those two with the bandages?" He ordered more than questioned.

He returned to the medication chart and was about to speak when the girl spoke again. "Does he have any know allergies we could be aware of?"

"No, Tarble's never had any problems. All of the drugs are approved for use. But the ones on the chart here, will be the most effective." He said before going over the times and setting up shifts for them to be here. Basically, it would leave Tarble with three people at all times. It was then that something occurred to him. He had no idea who this kids were. They had never said their names. He looked almost dumbfounded as he was about to ask.

But the boy beat him to it. "By the way, name's Brus. The two over there are Cela and Ruta." The boy pointed across the room to the other two that were finishing up the bandages. "And those two are Zucin and Matto."

He nodded, committing their names to memory. The snappy girl from before cleared her throat. "I think your forgetting someone." She said, placing her hands on her hips.

"Fine, then why don't you introduce yourself then?" Brus said giving her lip back.

"Spina and don't forget it big shot." She said almost getting in his face.

He blinked a couple of times. He knew this behavior, but he would have to let her down gently. He was already spoken for after all.

Instead of giving her the attention she seemed to want, he turned his face over to Brus. "Make sure everything is going smoothly. I need to speak with my father."

"I think you need some sleep." Spina said, trying to get him to listen to her.

He ignored her words. "If I don't speak with the army soon, they may try and leave. We need every hand that we have." He walked over to a terminal, before tossing all of them communicators. "If anything happens, while I am gone. Page me. Do not hesitate for a second."

To his disbelief, he was met with salutes over nods, causing him to blink in confusion at the setting before him. Was this what real respect looked like? It was something he had never been presented with. Sure, Tarble and Vegeta gave him respect, but they were his friends, he kind of expected it. After how many of them cowered from him at the lab, he figured that they were mostly afraid of him. Now he was beginning to see that was a false assessment on his part. It seemed that they all had a fondness for him that he didn't understand. That was probably the same reason that he didn't notice Onna's intentions from the beginning.

He had to stop his train of thoughts as he left the room. Onna and her family were off planet. He wondered when they would return and if she would even be alive. As much as he wanted to just stop and think about it, he just couldn't. There was too much at stake right now.

When this war was over, there would be plenty of time for that.

To Be Continued…

 _Author's Note_

 _Told you it would be back to twice a week, lol. Anyway, look Kakarot's healed! Maybe I'm done torturing him, for now. Poor Tarble just can't catch a break. The other Saiyans will not be mains, they are just there for now._


	40. Chapter 40

Morning came, he was glad for the full table of food when he woke up. Both he and Kakarot had to head out later and having a full stomach for the journey and their training was wise.

He gave Bulma a smirk. He hadn't seen her in a while. It looked like she didn't get much sleep, plus she did smell a lot like oil and grease. She must have been working on the ship.

"How much more do you need to finish up on the ship?" He asked, sitting down next to her.

She put down the mug she was holding. "I'm done. I finished it this morning."

He almost fell forward on the table in surprise. "That was fast. I thought it would take you a couple of weeks to finish!"

She giggled. "I told you I was a genius. We should be able to leave earlier than we predicted."

He gave her a small smirk. "We can leave after this King Piccolo has been taken care of."

She gave him a small frown. "Why don't we just forget about him? All of us can go to Planet Vegeta, we could…"

He placed his hand over her mouth. "After what that demon has done, I must destroy him."

She pulled his hand away. "What about Tarble? If we get back sooner, we can help him."

He almost flinched, not wanting to say anything. He stood up from the table before walking out the room. He didn't want to be reminded of how bad of a brother he was being. Tarble had to wait. After he was able to track down this King Piccolo, they could return home. He had already promised Kami that he would take down the evil side of him and he would allow Kakarot to get his revenge. After all, Kakarot was still acting like the cowardly attack on him was his fault. He would not allow the boy to push away his pride and wallow in his own self-pity. No self-respecting Saiyan should ever fall into that category.

Bulma didn't follow him out of the room, she must have read the mood and chose to keep her distance. He was glad for that. He didn't know how he would react if she had kept on him. The fact that she could read him, was already showing him that his mind had made the right choice. She would be a fantastic queen.

He almost didn't hear Kakarot as the younger Saiyan came out of the kitchen, clearly ready to go find Kami and regain his honor.

He gave the boy a smirk. "Where has Piccolo gone?" He had almost forgotten the god's request for the younger son of evil half.

Kakarot looked dumbfounded for a second. "I don't know. I haven't seen him."

He began to wonder if the boy had run off after his father. Last night, he was nowhere to be found and this morning he had not seen any sign of him either. Maybe he should ask Bulma or the harpy if he had left.

But before he could do so, the boy made his presence known. Walking past them without speaking, he watched as the younger Piccolo made himself a glass of water.

Kakarot gave him a funny look, like he was trying to figure something out. But in usual Kakarot fashion the boy spoke his mind before he thought it over. "Aren't you hungry? I don't think I've ever seen you eat."

Piccolo gave him a disgusted look, but in Kakarot's defense, the boy didn't know any better. He had no knowledge concerning the Namakians.

"Kakarot, he doesn't need to." He chuckled lightly.

Kakarot looked bewildered at the concept. "How does someone not need to eat?"

"It very simple really. Namaks like him only need to drink water." He said crossing his arms and waiting for the younger boy's reaction.

He couldn't help but laugh at Kakarot's dumbfounded expression, followed by his look of complete pity. "So you'll never get to trying all of the tasty things that Chichi can make?"

The green boy just looked annoyed, but nodded.

Pure fear graced his companion's features. He could only guess what the boy was thinking. If he had to guess, Kakarot had to see that as a fate worse than death. Really it did seem like a horrible outcome for any Saiyan. They ate more than most races did.

One thing did strike him as odd though. Kakarot brought up Chichi's food before any other. Maybe the boy didn't realize it yet, but he seemed to be close to the harpy. It wasn't that she was a bad choice, she did have the fiery temper that many Saiyan women had. It looked like she had had formal training, which meant that she could possibly be up for sparring with Kakarot and maybe could mother some strong children in the future. But it was too quick to judge such a thing. Kakarot seemed more interested in food than having a mate, which was normal for a young warrior of his age. Kakarot wouldn't be thinking of such things until he was at least 13 or 14, maybe a little younger than that, but certainly not at 8.

He was shaken from his thoughts as the green boy seemed to stare at him. "What do you want?" He asked, with a growl on his tongue.

The boy looked serious. "That word you called me, Namak. What is it?"

Oh, that. He forgot his slip of tongue. Of course, Piccolo had never heard of his native people. "It's what you really are. Your kind are not demons. You are from the planet Namak."

The green boy looked curious, but at the same time he looked wary of his words. "How do I know what your saying is the truth? My father and everyone on this planet refers to us as demons. How could you know any better?"

Now he couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy. He knew nothing of what he really was. "You will see. You already know of the tower, do you not?"

The surprised Namakian gave him a small nod. "I do, but what does that have to do with anything?"

He gave the boy a crooked smile. "You will have to trust me on this. You will follow Kakarot and I back to the tower. You will find your answers there."

The green skinned boy gave him an annoyed look, he must have not liked that he was the one having to deal with him speaking in riddles.

"So are you coming or not?" He asked, watching as the other boy gave him a scowl.

He could tell from the look on the Namak's face that he would be going with them. He had peaked the other boy's interest. Kami would be pleased to have him there.

He had everything in the palm of his hand now. Getting the information he needed from Kami would be easy. King Piccolo would be destroyed and they would be off in the ship Bulma had just made. If everything went according to plan, they would be back home within a week and a half.

He just hoped that he wasn't too late. That Tarble could hold on without him. Whatever their father had planned did not bode well with him. His father better hope that Tarble was unharmed. He already had ideas of what he planned to do to his father, but he couldn't dwell on that. He had to keep his mind on the present. It was the only way he could get back home.

* * *

She woke up. Her body hurt like hell and she felt disoriented. Where was she?

She pushed herself up, out of bed. Cold hit her almost immediately as she looked down at herself. A long surgical scar laid in the middle of her chest.

The heart surgery. She had forgotten about it. She had been passed out for a long time, a couple of day's maybe.

Her family left in a rush, not that she expected her father to be this kind to her. Far from it.

Speaking of her family, she hadn't see them in a while. They had dropped her off as soon as they got here, wherever here was.

She tried to get out of bed but felt incredibly dizzy. 'If only Raditz were here.' She thought to herself.

As the thought entered her mind, she cringed in pain, almost falling back onto the bed. She wanted to scream, but something kept her mouth closed. It was almost as if someone was taking over her mind, as she clawed at her face.

Tears welled up in her eyes. As something or someone tried to touch her mind. She was finally able to let out a cry, as the person finally made herself known.

Laugher, insane, maniacal laugher made chills go down her spine. She tried to look around but all that surrounded her was darkness. The chackling continued. She tried to spin around, looking for any sign of light that she could find, only to find one small dot in the distance.

Her instincts told her to run, but she knew that she couldn't out run the chilling laughter.

Giving into her instincts, she bolted. Running as fast as she could toward the light, she could feel the darkness on her heels. Its voice chilling as it came closer. Even as she ran, it felt like it was speaking in her ear.

' _So you're the one that wants to take him away from me!'_ The sinister voice ran in her ears.

She couldn't help but cry out. "What are you talking about? I'm not doing anything!"

The voice made a ticking noise. _"You thought that you could pull the wool over my eyes, child. I can see your thoughts. I can see you memories. I see the one called Raditz."_

That caught her attention. What could this monster want with Raditz? Her mind filled with images of the smart, handsome, and crafty boy, just in time for her to get a mouth full.

' _He was mine! He's still mine! You have no right to him!'_ The voice screamed as she placed her hands over her ears.

Her head throbbed as she started to feel ill. It was almost like a wall was being placed in front of her and she couldn't escape. She tried to move forward, but found herself stuck in place.

She watched as the voice materialized in front of her. Its body looked completely damages, as if it had been ripped apart. Long scars went up and down the female's body, as she was given a sickening smile.

She didn't want to look at the creature, terrified of what it wanted. All she could do was stand there, hoping that the female in front of her would show her mercy.

"You know, I should be thanking you child." The voice came out of the Frostian female's mouth. The sickly, sweet voice did nothing to ease her mind and body.

"What are you….?" She questioned the woman, only to be slapped across the face.

"QUIET! I DIDN"T ASK FOR YOU INPUT!" The woman screamed into her ear. "YOU'VE ALREADY TRIED TO TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME!"

She rubbed her face wondering still what the Frostian was talking about. She wasn't trying to take anyone from this lady.

She watched as the woman's expression changed in an instant. "But that is no matter to me. I will just go and see him for myself. I made it so he could never forget me, even if he tried." It was like she didn't exist, the woman was a raging lunatic. Speaking only to herself. "And now breeding will be made easier for us. We can start over, Raditz and I." She felt herself back up, this woman was deranged. She froze into place as the woman's eyes fell on her again. "You will remain here, of course."

Remain here? What was she talking about? What did she have planned for Raditz? The boy that stole her heart all of those years ago, the one man she wanted to mate with more than anyone, was going to be stolen from her.

Rage filled her instantly. Who did this woman think she was? She had worked too hard, just to roll over and allow this stranger to take her mate from her. She let out a growl, only to get smacked again. Only this time, she was hit with enough force to make her fall to the ground.

"You think that you're entitled to him! He's mine! He will never be yours!" The woman screamed at her, before laughing once again. "It's not like it will matter. You will never get out of here." She turned her back to her and disappeared. Leaving her to look up at the darkness.

* * *

Back on the ship, she smirked to herself. She was alive again. Now all she had to do was find Raditz.

She walked over and admired herself in the mirror. The Saiyan girl, whose body she had received, was better than she expected. "We will be together again, love." Zera said with a sadistic smirk.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note

 _DUH DUH DUHHHH! So that happened. Did you guys really think I would all of those horrible things to everyone else in this story and let Raditz off scot free? The greatest psycho I've ever created, walks again._


	41. Chapter 41

After he'd been there before, it was a piece of cake to find it again. The tower loomed over them. Their flight there had been uneventful, mostly made up of a broad silence, except for Kakarot asking a question every once and a while. Most of his question where related to the distance they needed to cross.

Piccolo never said anything, only letting out grunts of annoyance at Kakarot's questions or sighs most likely related to his own thoughts.

But now here they were, looking up at the tower.

"So we got to fly up there?" Kakarot said looking slightly peeved about more flying.

He chuckled. "No, here we climb. Trust me, the air currents will be too out of control, plus there is a massive storm up ahead."

He watched as Kakarot's face as the boy began grumbling about climbing up the tower.

"Do you want to train or not?" He asked point blank.

The boy stopped his grumbling and followed him as he grabbed onto the tower. Behind them, Piccolo grabbed on.

He did find it odd that the younger Piccolo knew about the senzu beans, but not about Kami. Maybe he was left with some of the memories of King Piccolo, but not enough to know about Kami's existence. The cat must have been the only part that he knew about.

They climbed past the storm, he could hear the other two's shocked gasps from behind him. They must have thought that he was kidding when he told them that there was a storm up here.

Within a couple of hours, they had reached the top. This time he made sure to ignore the cat's home. He didn't want to deal with the annoying creature again.

He could already hear the distain in Kakarot's voice as they reached the top, only to the end of the tower. "Where is it? It thought there was something up here?"

He shot the younger Saiyan a glare. "We fly from here. The lookout is not that far up from this point." He said, removing himself from the tower and waiting for the other two to follow.

He watched the Namak's face, he seemed wary of flying up, while Kakarot just did what he was told.

"You want to know what is beyond here. I suggest you follow us." He stated, watching as the boy contemplated following him. He gave a smirk as the boy took after them, heading upward.

In what seemed like minutes, he saw the outline of the island in the sky and started heading around it, while the other two followed.

When they finally landed on the lookout, he found himself eager to see their reactions.

Kakarot seemed to look around in awe. It looked like he had a lot of questions, but he would remind the younger to hold his tongue. Sure they were there for answers, but not the ones that Kakarot was currently focused on.

Piccolo seemed to grow not only silent, but from what he could tell, the Namak seemed to be taking it all in. Like some part of his memory remembered this place, but as hard as he tried, he couldn't pull it forward.

"This is the look out. Kami should he here soon." He stated, wanting to see the green boy's reaction to the name. Even though, he was the son of the evil side of Kami, it was highly likely that due to the boy having some knowledge of the senzu that he may have more of a connection to the god than he realized. Perhaps he wasn't a son at all, instead he was more like a connecter between the two. One good, one evil, and one neutral. It kind of made sense the more he thought about it. Why would the son of the evil Piccolo stop and help Kakarot, especially after he was ordered to destroy him?

"Kami?" The Namak asked, from the sound of his voice, he could tell that the boy knew the name, but probably couldn't match it to anyone.

He nodded. "The god that looks over this planet."

Before he could get a reaction out of the Namak, Kakarot thought to barge in. "This planet has a god? Why don't we have a god on Planet Vegeta?"

He was about to tell Kakarot to stay quiet, but he brought up a very good point. If Earth had a god, then they too must have a god as well. The real question was where was he hiding? Did he suffer from the same thinking that Kami did? Was he looking over the war at home and doing nothing or was he doing something from behind the scenes?

As much as he wanted to think over the possibilities, he couldn't. He had to focus on Earth right now. It was the only way to get back home.

The white palace doors in front of them opened and they were all graced by the presence of both of the island inhabitants. He knew the other two would find all of this confusing, especially since Piccolo was staring at what must have looked like his father.

But he wasn't the one to watch. Kakarot was.

The boy let out a small roar at seeing the elderly Namak. His estimation was correct. Kami had to look like King Piccolo.

Kakarot made to launch himself forward and he only had a split second to respond. He jumped up, blocking Kakarot's energy blast and caught the boy's look of pure rage and it wasn't completely directed at the god. He could see some of that anger was focused on him.

"Kakarot, this man is not King Piccolo. Let him explain and you will see the truth." He said, as his own anger began to fill him.

Kakarot hissed, in the boy's mind destroying Piccolo was the only way to reclaim his honor and with him thinking that Kami was indeed the one that diminished him, there was almost no way he could change the younger Saiyan's mind. "Move Vegeta!"

He didn't want to use his power against his friend. "Kakarot! You will stop this now!"

The boy almost backed up, seeing the snarl on his lips. "But Prince Vegeta…."

He was outraged. When was the last time that Kakarot had called him by his title? He told the boy that it wasn't needed and now in his anger he was reverting back to using it, almost as if he was trying to find a reason around him so he could attack Kami.

"Kakarot use your head! You're losing yourself to your rage. Use your senses and you will not only see the truth!" He argued.

To his side, he could hear Piccolo walk towards Kami. "I feel like I should know you."

The god smiled. "Well you should. Part of you came from me. Well not directly, that is."

He would have liked to watch their interaction, but Kakarot was still wary and keeping his distance from both Namaks and himself.

He sighed, holding his hand out to his irate companion. Yelling was getting them nowhere. "Kakarot." He watched the boy twitch as if he didn't know how to react to his gesture. "You need to listen to reason. I know you can do that. You feel like your honor has been compromised, but your actions right now are what is hindering you. Now do as I ask and stop treating Kami like a disease." He was surprised by how calm he was.

It seemed that he had caught Kakarot off guard as well. The boy's snarl faded from his lips. He could already see the look of embarrassment and shame starting to spread across the boy's face. "Vegeta….I'm…"

"It's fine Kakarot. You were responding with your instincts instead of your head. Now come, we have much to discuss with Kami. If anything, he will be the one to lead us to the one you want."

With that Kakarot, nodded before taking his hand and walking with him after Kami.

It seemed that the Namak had already started leading the younger Piccolo away. Due to him dealing with Kakarot's outburst, he had missed out on most of their conversation.

When they finally caught up, Kami finishing up explaining himself to the younger Piccolo. "So you see, you are a part of both of us in a way."

He could hear Kakarot scratch his head in confusion. He almost huffed, it was his own fault that he had missed out on the conversation.

"So, where is King Piccolo at?" He asked, deciding that that information was far more important.

Kami pointed his cane down the hall. He smirked to himself and walked in the direction of he pointed, only to find what looked like a hole in the floor. He was going to ask what Kami was talking about, when he looked down. It was almost as if he was much closer to the ground and just looking down. He could see Bulma and Chichi making small talk in the kitchen of the bunker.

"That hole allows you to see what on Earth you care about the most." Kami said, with a smile on his face.

Piccolo, who had never taken his eyes off of Kami, asked. "What do you see?"

He received a small smile. "Everything, child. I see everyone's hopes and dreams, every triumph and every fall. I cannot always interfere, but I can listen."

The younger Piccolo seemed slightly confused with this. "Why can't you interfere?"

Kami looked a little sad. "I can't always jump in. No one would ever learn anything if I did."

He was tired of the small talk, he had already heard this before. All he wanted to know was where King Piccolo was.

Over his shoulder, he could feel Kakarot's gaze. His young charge wanted to take a look. He felt himself smirk. There was nothing that Kakarot cared more about than finding the demon king at the moment.

He moved to the side, giving Kakarot a slight nod. The boy gave him a small smirk before looking down.

He looked down, this time over the other boy's shoulder. Instead of finding Bulma and Chichi, he could clearly see the evil Piccolo.

Now that he could see the darker Namak in person, he found himself less than impressed. He was old, that was a given, but he didn't look like had aged as bad as Kami had. Looking over him, he didn't look that powerful. Hell, most of the elites back home would be more of a challenge.

His eyes went down to Kakarot, that's why Kakarot felt so discouraged by his fall. Losing to such a weak enemy must have been driving the boy mad. His actions towards Kami seemed far more justified right now.

Behind him, Piccolo and Kami made more small talk. He didn't really care too much about it anymore. He did what the god had asked and now he and Kakarot just needed to find the position of the demon in question.

Kakarot snarled loudly, but before he could look back at the hole, the boy had moved. And not slowly either. He basically was making a break for the door.

He must have missed something when he had glanced at the Namaks. From how Kakarot was acting now, it almost urged him to follow him.

His eyes found Kami again. The man's eyes were looking down at him in horror. "The Dragonballs."

He felt himself stiffen. There were only two places were you could find Dragonballs. The first was already raid, leaving the bunker as the only other location.

Red, it became the only color that he could see. It was as if multiple blood vessels were breaking in his eyes. His future mate. That monster was headed there. That's why Kakarot bolted. It wasn't just seeing the creature he despised. He must have recognized the area that the demon was lurking in.

With great speed, he left the room without a word. He couldn't leave Bulma to face such a fate. Even with her security and brains, he had seen what the demon king had done to Kakarot. He would not allow his love to suffer that fate. He would not allow her to die before they had a chance to build a life together.

He could only hope that Kakarot got there in time. Only he knew the exact location of the beast.

So even as he flew back, at break neck speeds. He had to place all of his trust in Kakarot. He could leave no room for doubt. Kakarot would get there in time. He would protect the bunker.

He had to say it out loud as he flew. If he didn't he would go into panic mode. He wasn't mated to Bulma yet, but it didn't mean that he didn't already see the girl as his.

Mark his words. If he got to that bunker and the girl he loved was gone then this demon would feel the full power of his wrath.

The false King would be brought to his knees.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note

Man, this is later than I thought it would be. Sorry about that. Looks like King Piccolo is headed after Bulma and Chichi in his search for the dragonballs. Will he get there before Kakarot? Will Vegeta arrive in time? Will I ever shut up? (The answer to the last one is no.)


	42. Chapter 42

He flew back in desperation. It was no coincidence that he recognized the patch of trees around his nemesis. This was fate. It wanted to restore his honor, to make the demon king bow to his feet and beg for mercy.

He felt himself sneer. It would serve the older Piccolo right. His cries would be music to his ears.

Rushing through the skies, he began to think up a plan in the back of his head. He would not rush into this like last time. He refused to be caught off guard again.

Using his senses the way the younger Piccolo taught him, he started to track the movements of the demon king. But soon, he began to notice that there were other Ki signatures with the demon king. Did he create a small army?

He growled in the back of his throat, he wouldn't put it past the monster. His own son was truly only cannon fodder so that he could work on this. All of this for those stupid Dragonballs. He swore under his breath.

Using his Ki, he started to feel other signatures start to disappear. None of which were familiar, but the disappearances were like a trail, heading straight towards the bunker. Old man Gohan, that pervert Roshi, Bulma, and Chichi were there. The two old men could maybe hold his army off for a little bit, but both of the girls didn't stand a chance.

His mind flashed back to the attack by Red Ribbon. Chichi's screams of terror crashed through his mind. It was almost as if she was right next to him. Dark thoughts began to start edging into his mind.

Under him he could smell the wreckage that the demon was causing. But from his senses, he knew he wasn't even close to where he was headed. He still had over 10 miles to go and the sky was growing dark. They had left for the lookout rather in the day.

His stomach flipped a couple of times in his throat as he felt death after death through his search.

He almost wanted to stop sensing the demon all together as he knew where the monster was headed, but stopped himself. He needed any advantage that he could get against the creature and reading Piccolo's Ki was the best option he had. Not only that, but if he had sensed correctly and there was an army, then he would have an edge.

He dared to look down at the ground, looking at the ravaged landscape. The beauty that the planet below had was gone, replaced with blood, fire, and ash. He almost let out a growl. This was his fault, all of it. If he hadn't went swimming after that fish then Piccolo would have never escaped. They would all be on their way home. His honor would have never been compromised and he wouldn't be in this predicament.

If only he had stayed with Vegeta instead of running off with Gohan and Roshi. Vegeta was right. Even if Gohan knew a lot about him, the Prince knew what he was doing. Vegeta probably would have showed him how to become a Super Saiyan as well.

But he wasn't angry at Gohan. He still felt fond of the man. Maybe it was because he treated him like a son. Sure, he got a lot of attention from his parents, but they always seemed to walk on eye shells around Raditz, often stopping at what they were doing to attend to his brother's needs. Now that he knew the whole story, he had a better understanding of why his brother was the way he was.

He was grateful to the older man for making him think for himself though. He felt that now he could make his own opinion and Vegeta would listen and if he had never left he would have never discovered how much Vegeta really wanted him around. He finally knew that he wouldn't be replaced by someone else. He was the only choice for Vegeta's Captain.

He heard a loud explosion off in the distance. He was getting closer.

Clearing his mind of his thoughts and focusing on the direction of the blast. He began to fly faster. His lips began to form into a scowl. A low snarl was emitting from him. This was it. He would have his revenge.

He stayed pretty far up as he looked down, analyzing his surroundings this time before landing. He stretched his out his senses. Only finding small traces of Ki around him. Most likely from the fallen humans that had faced the evil Namakian's wrath.

As he was just about to let down his guard, a flash of Ki sparked behind him. Someone was charging an attack. He growled facing the person that was targeting him.

He now understood why he couldn't sense the demon king when he was disgraced. The monster was hiding his Ki. Of course it would know that same technic that the younger Piccolo had taught him. It all made sense now.

As he felt the attack start to be released, he smirked to himself. He knew the demon's game. The playing field was now stacked in his favor once again.

He waited, preparing himself for the massive blast. Grinning from ear to ear as it was finally sent in his direction.

With break neck speed, he flew up into the air, the blast only missing him by a couple of centimeters.

He laughed to himself as he flipped in the air, landing on his feet while preparing a blast of his own.

At the same time, he flew closer, sensing the monster with his Ki. It wasn't Piccolo, but he could at least take out one of his goons.

He landed in front of the monster. It was rather large, but not in a threatening way. It seemed fat and stupid as it lunged forward, trying to land an attack on him.

He moved quickly, still gathering his energy in one hand while dodging the tub of lard.

As he dodged backwards, he fell onto his back. The green pile moved forward, reaching out towards him, just in time for him to kick it in the face and send him flying.

Using his knees and rocking his back, he jumped back onto his feet. Grinning to himself as the monster stayed where it was, still dizzy from getting kicked in the head.

Moving forward and not taking another chance, he leaped up so that he was just above the monster, before releasing the blast downward.

He watched as the green monster imploded, spraying him with its body fluids.

He grinned to himself for a job well done, but he need to move on. The one he wanted wasn't that far ahead. He had to stop him before he made it to the bunker.

He flew back into the sky, not caring about the green goo that covered his body. He could clean himself later. There were more important things to worry about.

He doubled his speed, as he found himself no longer focusing on Piccolo's Ki, but the Ki's of those in the bunker.

From what he got, they all seemed to be fine. Piccolo must have not made it to the bunker yet, but that was no reason to slow down.

As he reached the bunker, he sensed around the area, but now knew that it was a loss. Piccolo was hiding his Ki for this purpose. He would have to resort to doing things the old fashioned way.

Closing his eyes, he opened up his other senses, especially his sense of smell. He had already gotten a good whiff off of the demon king during their first encounter.

In seconds, he had his enemy targeted. He grinned to himself, as he waited again. They would strike soon, he could feel it.

"Kakarot?" His eyes flew open wide in shock as her voice hit his ears.

He turned around quickly. "CHICHI GET BACK INSIDE!"

She looked at him in confusion, but it was too late. A barrage of energy blasts came from the tree line.

Quickly, he grabbed Chichi and pushed her down to the ground, shielding her from any oncoming blasts or debris. She tried to scream, but no one would have been able to hear her over the explosions.

He looked down at her, checking for injuries. He had been unharmed, but that didn't mean anything. "You okay, Chichi?"

She nodded, speechless. Her eyes looking up at him, as if begging him to get her out of here. He gave her a small nod and her eyes, which were on the verge of tears, brightened.

He pulled himself off of her, as the dust cleared. "Get back in the bunker." He whispered under his breath.

She stared back at him again, this time wary. "But what if you get hurt again?"

He had already turned his back to her. "That won't happen this time. Get inside. I know what I'm up against this time."

But she continued to stare at his back for a couple of times, before finally listening. "Just come back alive, okay."

He smirked. "Don't you worry about that?"

"I mean it, if you die, I'm going to kill you!" She said crying again.

He turned his head back. "I told you, I'm not going to die. Get back in there now! Besides, you can't be a bride if you stay out here and get killed." He whispered the last part out under his breath, but she still heard him.

She blushed. He didn't know what the big deal was. Didn't she want to be this bride thing? So why was she still standing there in one place?

"Chichi, what are you and Kakarot doing out there? The latch came open and this time Gohan came out. The old man gave him one of his gentle smiles, just as another barrage of blasts came through the tree line.

He tackled Chichi down again, but his attention wasn't on her. His sight was directed at the old man, his eyes growing in shock as the blasts entered his body, filling it with hole after hole. He yelled for Gohan to get down, but it was too late, he had already taken too many hits. The last blast hit the old man in the head, going straight through. Gohan's blood splattering against the side of the bunker and across his face.

It was as if the world was in slow motion as the man's body fell to the ground. He could feel that the body was empty, its Ki had already exited.

He pulled himself and Chichi up. She made to cry into his shoulder. "Get in the bunker." He let out a sharp growl.

She listened and let go of him, heading for the bunker.

The open barrage started again. He snarled loudly, moving to shield her as his rage grew. She let out a cry from behind him, his eyes looked back, seeing a small cut across her face.

His eyes grew wide as he let out an earth shattering roar. His rage reaching its peak.

His voice came out in a ragged snarl. He looked down at the ground, his eyes felt wet as tears streamed down his face. "You tried to take my pride," He took a step forward "you've taken Gohan…." His face snapped up as he took another step. His eyes flashing between black and green. "BUT I WON"T LET YOU TAKE MY CHICHI!" He roared before rushing forward.

Blasts fired in his direction, but he dodged them with ease. Flipping through the barrage with a mix of twists and flips.

It wasn't until one hit his back that he stopped, but it wasn't due to pain. It was almost as if the blast had defused on impact. It had no effect on him.

He smirked darkly, as he placed his hand up in front of him, knocking Ki blast after Ki blast, almost laughing at how easy this was.

As if they had had enough, they burst from the forest. He watched them as they ran forward. Taking in all of theirs. Most looked just the fat one from before, but some had more slender forms. From theirs scent, he had made them the same way he had made the young Piccolo, but these seemed less complete.

He readied himself for their attacks. Wrapping his tail tightly around his waist, he jumped up as a few of them set to tackle him, causing them to run into each other. He spared no time, blasting them, causing the green goo to spread again.

He barely had enough time to dodge a punch to the face, grabbing the arm and twisting it behind the creature until it broke off, then stabbing it through the gut with its own arm.

At the same time, he was delivering a mid-air kick to the face of another. Braking through its skull.

He twisted up as another tried to come forward, only resulting in him coming down on the monster's head with a blast, splatter the ground with more of the goo.

He growled as he turned to face the others. He didn't realize that he had already taken out a big chunk of Piccolo's forces, leaving only a few left by the demon's side.

He smirked to himself as the large lug next to the demon king volunteered to be the next on the clopping block.

He noted the weapon that hung from the monster's waist and was right to do so, as the creature unsheathed the sword and ran forward.

He got low to the ground and as the thing took a swing, he rolled out of the way, almost laughing when the sword got stuck in the ground. As the lug remained distracted by the blade, he slid between his legs, grabbing the blade as he knocked the creature forward. With great speed, he twisted the blade around, causing the monster to impale itself.

He listen to the screams, taking delight in them. He ripped the sword out of the things body and it fell over dead.

His eyes found the demon king again. "Is this all you got? You're becoming a disappointment."

The older Piccolo growled, pointing to his last two minions. "Take care of this garbage!"

He smirked as they came forward, the two of them seemed to be faster and smarter unlike most of his prey.

The two of them started with a barrage of blasts, but just like the last time, he was able to block and deflect each of them.

Suddenly, he was pushed back onto his back. One of them had been making the blasts, while the other had gone around to attack.

It had picked up the sword and made to stab him, but his tail creeped around the monster's leg, tripping it and grabbing the blade with his bare hands, bending the metal in the process.

He shifted himself to the side, just in time for the other to come running, using his tail to make the other land on top of his previous attacker. He smirked to himself, as he grabbed the bent sword. Jumping up from the ground, he took the weapon and plunged it downward, twisting it down with all of his weight and power.

He watched as their eyes flashed open wide from pain and they began to make a garbled breathing sound as he punctured their lungs.

He listened to them gasp for breath for a couple of seconds, before dropping the sword and turning to face the demon king himself.

Only to find him gone. He growled loudly, but panic set in as he realized that the man was leaving him a Ki trail.

He was in the bunker.

To Be Continued…..

I'm so mean to leave this on a cliffhanger, but I kind of want the showdown with Piccolo to be its own fight.


	43. Chapter 43

He couldn't help but smirk as he looked down at the destruction that Kakarot had caused.

He wasn't too far behind his companion and when he first saw the younger Saiyan in the heat of battle, he was itching to join him, but stopped in his tracks. This was Kakarot's fight.

Besides, Piccolo was staying on the sidelines. It was only right to let his young charge take the helm. And that he did. He had never felt so proud of the young boy than he did now. It was rather satisfying seeing all of those years of training pay off.

It wasn't until the last two foes had been destroyed that he noticed that Piccolo had run off. He was about to growl in anger at the Namek's cowardly actions. He didn't even have the guts to fight Kakarot himself.

He was going to laugh at the dolts cowardly actions, when he noticed Kakarot's fear.

He followed Kakarot's line of sight. The demon king was in the bunker….with Bulma.

A growl escaped his lips as he dived down in almost a panic. He would not allow this.

Kakarot made it inside before he did, but that didn't stop him from flying directly into the bunker.

A loud blood curdling scream, chilled his veins. He couldn't tell if it was Bulma or Chichi, but he didn't want to find out. All he wanted to do was rip that Namek to shreds.

"Vegeta?" His face spun around to find Kakarot, he seemed to be on the trail.

"Did you see who he made off with?" He growled.

Kakarot shook his head. "No, but he wants those Dragonballs."

The Dragonballs were the last thing he was worried about right now. Destroying the creature was.

"We will split up then. We can cover more ground…" He started.

"No, Vegeta. I can sense him. He's not hiding his Ki. He wants us to follow him."

So that was Piccolo's plan. He was using the girls like bait. He wanted to get Kakarot backed against a corner. The older Namek had no idea that he was there nor did he know that he existed.

"Kakarot, we need a plan before they go in there." He hated admitting it, but with both Bulma and the harpy's lives on the line, they couldn't take any chances. They may be stronger than their foe, but right now he had the upper hand.

The younger nodded. "What should we do?"

For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to do. Storming in there would most likely spell disaster for his future mate and the other girl.

"Vegeta, we have to go in there. We can't just stay here. Bulma and Chichi aren't like us." Kakarot pointing out what he already knew.

He nodded at the younger. "Keep your wits about you. He'll be expecting you, but he has no idea that I exist."

With that Kakarot smirked, at least they had that.

Quietly, they made their way down the hallway towards the girls and the monster.

He was trying to remain calm as they got closer to their target, but he could hear some of what was going on up ahead.

"Just wait, when your friend gets here, he will bow down to me." The monster howled in laughter.

Kakarot let out a small snarl next to him, but he held his companion back. He didn't like the demon king's tone either, but he refused to give away their location.

"Like he would ever join you!" The harpy said, before making a hacking noise. If he were to guess, she must have spit at him.

"YOU BITCH!" The monster cried, followed by a loud crash and the harpy's cry in pain.

Kakarot twisted behind his arm, desperate to get to the young girl who was in agony. "If you rush out now, he will only kill her. Wait until he walks away." His whispered, knowing that the monster would grow bored of this. The girl wasn't his target, she was only a pawn.

So now he knew where the harpy was, but where was Bulma? So far he hadn't seen or heard any signs from the blue haired girl. Heck, he couldn't find Roshi either. Did the two somehow escape after Gohan's death?

He heard a rustle to his side and noticed a small trap door. He smirked to himself. She must have hidden herself before Piccolo's attack or she had heard Gohan's death and knew to hide, rather than take her time like the harpy did.

He motioned at Kakarot, to start his ascent forward. Reminding the boy to proceed with caution.

Kakarot nodded and started toward the beast, while he hung back and waited, just in case the boy needed back up, not that he thought the boy would need it.

* * *

He walked forward, trying to remain calm, but he could smell it. Blood. Chichi's blood. It made his skin crawl for reasons that he did not know, but all the same it enraged him. But he had promised that he would take this slow. The last thing he wanted to do was endanger her any further.

As the monster came into view, his eyes dashed around the room, looking for anything that may or may not be useful to him.

All of the doors were shut, closing off all of the escape routes, except for the one that he had just walked through.

Piccolo finally stopped whatever it was that he was doing. "So I see that you finally made your way down to me. How fitting for it to end like this."

He growled under his breath as his eyes landed on Chichi. She was covered in her own blood.

The monster chuckled. "Oh, did you want this? She's still alive, if only barely. Of course you can have her, if we make a deal that is."

He glared at the creature. "Like I would make a deal with you."

"Hmmm, not even if it could save this poor girls live?" Piccolo said placing his foot over her head.

He snarled, leaning forward. "Don't you touch her!"

The beast cackled louder. "So you're willing to make a deal then?"

Not taking his eyes off of the girl he said. "What do you want?"

"Pledge your allegiance to me."

He blinked a couple of times. "What?"

Piccolo laughed again. "Think about it boy, with both of our powers combined we could take over this mudball, maybe even more than that."

He nearly snapped, like this idiot thought that he would betray Vegeta for him. Well, he didn't know about Vegeta at all. In his mind, he must have thought of him as a free agent or something.

"Well human I don't have all day!" The monster said applying more pressure to Chichi's head.

He had to think fast, if he didn't Chichi would die. If he had started powering up before he came in here, he would have had an advantage, but Piccolo would have sensed it and already killed Chichi. No, he would have to move quickly and try to power up as he fought.

Waiting for an opening, he couldn't help but watch on helplessly. He didn't like it but Piccolo had all of the power here.

Down the hall, maybe in the kitchen, he heard a loud clanging noise. When he turned back to Piccolo, he could see that his foot was no longer on Chichi, but instead he had walked forward. He must have thought that they were here alone.

Now was his chance! He jumped up while the other was distracted and punched him in the back, sending him flying forward. While he had time, he moved Chichi under a table so that she would at least have some coverage. Before he turned back to the task at hand.

Piccolo turned back to him enraged, coming forward at him. He jumped up out of the way, landing a kick on his head on the way up. Unlike the goons from before, he held up a lot better. Only doubling backwards from the hit.

He took the shot to start charging up an attack, but was not given a chance, as Piccolo came back at him with a kick to the stomach, toppling him over onto his back.

Sensing the other coming down on him, he rolled out of the way just in time to see the floor next to him shatter, causing debris from the stone floor to rise up in a cloud of dirt.

He got back to his feet, looking around and noting the lack of visibility. He knew that he head to use his other senses to find the lug now that the curtain of dust was up.

Using his sense of smell over sensing for Ki, he was able to pinpoint where the other was, just in time for him to dodge out of the way of an oncoming blast.

As he moved, he heard the blast hit the table behind him. The one that Chichi was under.

He moved to check on her, seeing that she was unharmed, but now she was awake.

"Goku…why is it so cold?" He looked down at her face, she looked so pale from losing so much blood.

He was so caught up in looking her over that he ignored that she used the wrong name. "Don't talk Chichi, save your energy."

She shivered as her eyes dragged. "Would I have been a good bride?"

Before he could answer her, she passed out. Her Ki was draining out of her slowly.

His body locked up as he realized what was happening. Chichi was going to die.

His breathing became sharp as pure fury filled his body. Instead of pushing away his rage, he let it consume him. His body felt on fire as electric impulses seemed to pulse over his body.

The once dark room flashed as he emitted a golden ora.

The demon king turned as if to flee, but he would not allow that monster to get away with this.

The growl that emitted from his lips seemed to echo off of the walls of the room, cracking them and shutting off the exit as the debris fell. The bunker was falling apart under his shift in power, but he found that he didn't care.

The only thing on his mind was to see the elder Namek suffer in the worst way imaginable.

He watched as the beast looked on in fear as he charged up an attack with both of his hands. He had seen Roshi use this kind of blast before.

Moving at the speed of light, he landed right in front of the monster. His energy blast still charging. "Are you afraid now?" He asked with a slight bit of amusement. The Namek's fear like a fuel to is un-extinguishable rage.

He laughed to himself as the blast became complete. "This is the end of you Piccolo." He smirked. "See you in hell, KAMEHAMEHA!" The blast broke free, hitting the demon king right in the stomach. He could see the monster's eyes popping out of their sockets from the sheer force of his attack.

Piccolo fell back, his body basically blasted in half as he landed back on the ground. He listened to him as he struggled to breath. "You…you fool….they are …useless now…."

"That doesn't matter." He said smirking.

Piccolo coughed. "I….I don't…cough…understand…..how could a…hack…human…defeat me…"

"I'm no human, I'm a Saiyan." He said with pride.

With that, Piccolo let out one last cough bofore he felt the monster Ki leave his body. His foe dead and his honor restored.

But that wasn't his only focus. The room around him was collapsing.

Using his Ki, he could already tell that Vegeta had removed himself and the other survivors. All that remained was him and Chichi, who was barely hanging on. She only had slivers of Ki left in her body.

Moving over to her. He sent one blast up at the ceiling, making a hole big enough for them to escape. He bent down scooping her up in his arm and flying out of the bunker just as it began to collapse.

As he landed, he looked around for Vegeta, but he saw no sign of the Prince. He must have flown off with Bulma or something.

But that really wasn't his focus as he looked down at the pale girl he was holding. "I'm sorry Chichi. If you had lived I would have made sure that you got to be a bride." He said, trying to hold back tears.

"Kakarot." His Prince looked down at him as he held Bulma, the look in his eyes looked rather proud. He was about to ask why the Prince was smirking when he reached into his pocket and threw some kind of bean at him. "Give her that now. It will save her life."

Not thinking twice, he stuffed the bean into her mouth, watching not just with his eyes, but with his Ki as she started to come to. Her pale form was starting to darken as she came back from the edge of death.

"Kakarot?" She asked looking up at him in shock.

He couldn't help but smile down at her. "I think Goku is a lot easier to say, don't you think?"

She blushed up at him before smiling and leaning into his arms. He felt confused by her actions, but let her be.

Across from him the Prince chuckled. "So, it seems that I'm not the only one that can reach that form."

He stared at Vegeta giving him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

Bulma giggled. "You know Kakarot, blonde looks good on you."

Blonde? He walked over to a small pool of water that was coming from a leaking pipe, still not putting Chichi down, but it didn't seem as if the girl was complaining.

As he looked down, he was completely shocked. His hair was standing up on its own, much like Vegeta's, but it was now a solid shade of yellow, his once black eyes looked green now.

He was about to ask Vegeta what was going on, when the Prince came beside him and powered up, looking just like him. "This is what we came for Kakarot. This is the legend. The power of a Super Saiyan."

He could barely believe it. He was a legend. Wasn't that something reserved for someone like Vegeta? "How?"

Vegeta let out a chuckle. "I don't know, but I wouldn't expect any less from my Captain."

Bulma giggled. "I do have a theory on that."

Chichi wiggled a little in his arms and he finally leaned down so she could stand on her own.

Vegeta crossed his arm, looking at her as if expecting an explanation.

"Well think about it, Vegeta. You transformed when I was in trouble. The same probably happened with Goku. It must be powered by strong emotions of anger and love." The girl giggled.

He felt himself tilt his head to the side. Love?

Chichi giggled as she grabbed his arm. He just looked at her confused as he powered down back to his normal self, but he didn't say anything.

He heard Vegeta chuckle again. "Trust me Kakarot, you'll understand it more when you get older."

He gave the Prince a nod before looking around again, noticing that there was someone missing from their group. "Hey, where is old man Roshi?"

At that Vegeta's smirk faded into a frown. "Let's just say he got what he deserved."

He looked over to Bulma who was blushing. "Roshi and I were hidden under a trap door that led to the kitchen. He thought that he was going to get a little handsy when I was planning an escape from there. Vegeta came in right as he grabbed my ass." The girl said crossing her arms.

Vegeta turned red in the face. "As I said, he got what he deserved."

A light bulb went off in his head. "Is that what that loud noise was?" Vegeta and Bulma nodded, both looking slightly embarrassed and angry. "Oh, well then you guys gave me an edge then. The sound attracted Piccolo away from Chichi so I could attack."

"Well at least that pervert was of some use." Vegeta huffed.

Bulma smiled. "I'm just glad that the side of the bunker with the ship wasn't destroyed."

He almost panicked, he had forgotten about the ship being down there.

"So what do we do now?" Chichi seemed to ask Bulma. It was then that he realized that neither of them had a home left. Vegeta had already planned to take Bulma with them back to Planet Vegeta, but he wondered if Chichi would be up for the trip.

"Why don't you go back with us?" Seeing the girl light up as he asked.

Vegeta laughed. "Then it's decided. The four of us will be leaving tomorrow."

He smiled, finally he would be able to see his family again. Hopefully they were all safe.

To Be Continued….

So ends the Piccolo saga of this fic and the Earth saga as well. If anyone wanted Piccolo to be defeated by Vegeta, it kind of wouldn't have made sense as I built this up as Kakarot's fight from the beginning. But remember we got more to come in the upcoming chapters and Kakarot won't be the only one fighting. Roshi isn't dead, he just got a small beating by Vegeta for touching his Bulma. But finally we are headed back to Planet Vegeta. I think it was about 20 chapters ago that Vegeta and Kakarot left home, damn how time flys.

Anyway if you are enjoying this fic, why not leave a review. Even if you don't like it, go ahead and review. Proper feedback is always welcome.


	44. Chapter 44

He and Kakarot had spent most of the morning gathering supplies for their journey back home. The girls on the other hand were helping Roshi get to one of the last known settlements. Most of what they knew was destroyed by King Piccolo, but using the old perverts Ki, they were able to find some people.

Vegeta scoffed, he would be glad to be rid of the old man. No longer would he be forced to watch his every move around Bulma.

Now the sun was setting and the four of them stood outside of the ship, ready to board.

As he and Kakarot motioned for the girls to boards, the two of them seemed to freeze up a bit. He was about to ask what they were doing, but Bulma seemed ready to speak so he held his tongue.

"Sorry, it's just a little hard. Neither of us have ever left Earth before." She said sadly.

He nodded, it was only normal. He had never felt such feelings, but he had always traveled through the dark reaches of space.

Kakarot walked with his hands behind his head. "But there isn't anything here anymore."

He shot his companion a small glare. This was a delicate matter and he really didn't want the younger turning off their female companions.

"No, Kakarot's right. It's time to move on." Bulma said, walking forward onto the ship, making him smirk.

In a couple of seconds, ChiChi had followed her as well and he gave Kakarot a nod as they shut the door behind them.

Bulma had taken a seat at the helm. He figured as such, she was the one that designed the ship, so of course she would know how to operate it.

She gave him a smile as he stood next to her. He could hear Chichi strapping in behind him, while Kakarot seemed to have already headed off to the kitchen. He was tasked with putting their food away. He would have been wary of the idea, but he younger knew better than to cross him.

As Kakarot returned, he looked down at Bulma who was giving him a hardened look. "Vegeta, why don't you strap yourself in? This is going to be a bumpy ride."

He let out huff. "I'll be fine."

She gave him a death glare and he realized that it was probably best to do as she said. She was new to flying and it may be a rough ride into space.

She finally gave him a smile after he sat down, Kakarot was near him and he too didn't look to keen on buckling up. He would have to explain things to the boy later.

The ship took off and just as expected, he was flown back into his seat from the sheer force of how she flew. She let out a giggle as she looked over at his shocked expression.

When they finally made it through the atmosphere, he took a deep breathe, finally glad to be back in space.

He undid the buckles, as Kakarot did the same and headed over to the large, front windows, so he could get a better look.

The darkness of space looked as if it was inviting him home. Thoughts of his younger brother came to mind.

"We'll find him Vegeta." Bulma said, coming to his side.

He gave her a small smirk. He hoped that she was right.

* * *

Two weeks later….

He was starting to go stir crazy, being stuck with the girls was fine, but he found himself getting nervous.

For all he knew, Tarble could be dead or worse. The torture that his brother had to being going under was driving him mad. Back on Earth, he had plenty to keep him distracted, but now there was nothing to keep his mind busy.

Even talking to Bulma was not enough to put his mind at ease. Kakarot tried to tell him over and over that Tarble would be fine, but he just couldn't believe him. He knew firsthand what his father was capable of. The man would not hesitate in his acts against Tarble. He would be ruthless.

He sighed, soon. He needed to get back soon.

* * *

The hall was dead, but what else was he to expect at this time of night. He was on his way back from grabbing himself some food. Leaving Tarble in the care of the night shift, even with the reinforcements he had never left the younger Prince's side for more than 15 minutes.

He took a sip of his drink. Tarble's condition had not improved. The boy was still completely unconscious. His infections had cleared up a little, but not enough to warrant a celebration.

He was glad to be free of Gure though. The little Tech-Tech had not left him alone after finding out that Tarble had returned and he was getting sick of it. He had explained everything to her plenty of times. She couldn't go and see Tarble. She would bring in some kind of bad bacteria and the last thing that he needed was her fawning over his friend in his condition.

He sighed, he hoped Vegeta would return soon. He would feel less on edge about everything with the older Prince here.

The resistance was growing restless without their leader. Some were thinking of switching sides and if they left it would only spell disaster for the rest of them. They would only lead King Vegeta and his elites here. They would be sitting ducks. Only the older Prince could be able to rally their troops at this point.

A door flew open and he groaned. Gure was still up and headed his way. If he wasn't so tired, he could out run her, but due to over working himself, he was dead on his feet.

"Has he woken up yet?" She said, snapping at him.

He growled. He didn't have time for this shit. "No, stop asking. I will tell you when he comes to." He tried to walk off, but she blocked his path. Even though he towered over her, he didn't have the strength to move her away.

"I don't understand! Why can't I see him?!" She screeched at him and he covered his ears. His hearing was a little sensitive at the moment due to having a constant headache from his lack of sleep.

"Look, his condition is critical. Tarble needs sterile conditions. You would only bring in bacteria and germs that would compromise his condition further." He snarled.

She shook her head. "You think that I will get in the way."

He couldn't argue with that. "All of us are running around the floor. You would most likely be stepped on if you walked in there."

"I could stay off to the side." She said hopefully.

He shook his head. "Look, I know you want to help, but the best thing you can do for Tarble is to stay away."

He heard he make a sniffing noise and rolled his eyes. He didn't have time for this. "But…."

"No buts. I will let you know when he wakes up. You'll be the first to know." He said, hoping that she would just leave him alone. He needed to get back to the med-wing anyway.

Finally, she nodded, looking down at her feet sadly. "You promise."

He sighed. "I promise. Now I got to get back to him. He isn't going to get better with me standing here."

The girl nodded, even waving him off as he finally got away from her. He would have to tease Tarble when he woke up…if he woke up. He hated giving false hope to anyone, but the prognosis wasn't good. The truth was that the longer that Tarble stayed under, the less likely he was to wake up.

Making it back to the med-wing, he just hoped that that wasn't the case.

* * *

He looked down with a smirk on his face. Just outside the ship was his home planet.

"So this is it?" Bulma said, looking down at her future home.

"Yes, this is our home. Planet Vegeta." He couldn't wait to land. He had been gone for a little more than 2 months.

"Can we land now?" Kakarot asked, the boy was antsy to see his family, as was he.

He nodded and the younger Saiyan almost jumped for joy. He let out a chuckle as the boy ran over and strapped himself in. He knew better than to try and not strap in. If Bulma's take off had been any indication, her landing wouldn't be any better.

She gave Kakarot a scowl, but it didn't deter him from doing the same as Kakarot. He didn't really want to get thrown across the ship after all.

She even gave Chichi a glare as the girl started strapping herself in next to Kakarot. "What?"

Bulma put her hands on her hips. "You know, all of you could be more supportive!"

Chichi rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's nice and all, but I kind of want to be in one piece when we land."

Her eyes turned to him, as if wanting him to argue for her, but instead she turned red in anger when she noticed that he had buckled in. "What? Landing is more difficult than taking off. I'm just taking precautions." He stated, crossing his arms.

She let out a huff, he knew he would have to be in the dog house at this point, but that was the least of his worries. The planet below was at war and his younger brother was down there having to deal with all of it. His mind filled once again with the possible horrors that could have been inflicted on Tarble.

"Vegeta? Are you okay?" Kakarot asked. The boy had gotten better at reading him, but he didn't mind it. The boy had earned his trust over and over again and he would remain close to him, so he could take this as a good thing.

"I will be when we land." He stated, only earning him another huff from Bulma, as the girl strapped in herself.

He prepared himself as they made their descent. The ship was already starting so shake violently.

He dug his fingers into the side of his seat, the speed was driving his head into the back of his seat as well. Forcing him to clinch his jaw so that he didn't break any of his teeth or bite his tongue as they flew though the atmosphere.

The ship jolted as it came in contact with the ground, but they were all in one piece, so he couldn't complain.

"See!" Bulma said, removing her buckles and standing up. "I can fly this thing."

Kakarot was the next to stand up. "Please don't drive again. I don't think my stomach can take it." The boy said, looking green.

He laughed as he watched the boy stumble a bit. "So I've finally found a way to curb your appetite." He joked.

Bulma tapped her foot in irritation as he began towards the door.

The ramp slid down and the familiar smell of home hit his nose. He walked forward, finding himself closer than he would like to be to the city, but he didn't have time to be choosy.

Kakarot ran up beside him. "Where do we go from here? The city is a no go."

He nodded. "There is a bunker near here. Your family should be waiting there with the rest of the resistance."

He could hear both of the girls coming out of the ship and looking over their new surroundings. They would have to get used to it. It was their new home after all.

"It doesn't look that much different." Chichi said, unimpressed.

He shot her a glare, but she didn't even flinch. "Trust me, this place is very different from that hunk of dirt you were on. Now, we need to head out. Someone will see the ship and come looking, and I don't see them being too friendly."

Kakarot and Bulma already understood the gravity of the situation and nodded.

"But aren't you a prince?" The Harpy said angrily. "Don't you have authority over them?"

He let out an annoyed groan. "Only over the resistance. My father controls the elite forces of this planet. Before Kakarot and I left, my father planned and attempted to kill me. There is no way that I would be welcomed back at the palace, at least not yet."

He could tell that she didn't know the severity of his and Kakarot's situation. Bulma knew that his father was horrible, but it probably did not click into place how horrible the man was until now.

"How do you know where to find my parents?" Kakarot asked, giving him a confused look. He had never gotten around to telling the boy about Raditz's transmission.

"Your brother was able to contact us while you were off with Gohan. The resistance will be expecting our return, well at least your brother."

Kakarot seemed a little disheartened at the news. "So did Raditz ask about me?"

He gave his charge a smile for once. "He did actually."

This made the boy's ears perk up. The two of them didn't leave on the right foot.

"We will see them when we get to the bunker. Your parents will also be happy to see you." Kakarot already knew that. He still seemed a little dazed over Raditz actually asking about him.

Now that the group had finally stopped arguing, they were on their way. Everything felt so natural to him as he walked, flying could possibly give away their position. He had never felt this good to be home.

Leading the rear, Kakarot was taking in everything as well. With his new Ki reading abilities, it must have been like seeing Vegeta for the first time. Also the boy was keeping tags on all of the signals around them, just in case.

The girls had remained quiet for most of their journey. Only asking a question here and there. Now that they knew the severity of the situation, they were less willing to make too much noise.

A couple of hours into their trip and he noticed that it was going to get dark soon. If they didn't get there before the sun was down, then they would be in trouble. They had been fine on Earth due to the destruction of the moon, but here they didn't have that option. Even with the transformation it caused, the moon was almost treated like a god. Destroying it would just make the population turn on him. The moon was to be both feared and loved.

Without warning, Kakarot bounded forward in front of him. "Kakarot, what are you doing?" He growled, waiting for the boy to make his case.

"My father's Ki. I can sense it." The boy said with pure excitement on his face, almost jumping up and down.

He smirked, if Bardock was close, then they were close. "Good, how far ahead is he?"

"Not far, only a mile or two. If we pick up Bulma and Chichi, we could get there faster and I don't sense anyone else around here." The boy said proud of himself.

He nodded. Kakarot's new abilities would be helpful in the future and now was a good as time as any to use them. "I'll take the front, give me the direction of where your father is and you keep focused on locating foreign Ki."

He picked up Bulma, who wasn't complaining. She looked tired, it made sense. Not only did she pilot a ship and crash land it, but she had walked several miles, which was new to her.

As Kakarot picked up Chichi, they flew up. Both he and Kakarot exchanged a look, before picking up there speed and making both girls squeal.

The trees and landscape below them became a blur as they became two flashes of yellow streaming though the sky. Neither of them had really planned to go into their Super Saiyan forms, but considering that it raised their speed, it was quite helpful.

He looked back over to Kakarot, who was on his right. And the boy signaled for him to land.

With that both of them stopped, as he looked down at the girl in his arms, he could plainly see her twitching from the experience. Her hair was thrown out of place and she was definitely disheveled from the flight.

As he placed her on the ground, she practically jumped out of his arms. He looked over to his right and saw that the Harpy was green as Kakarot laughed.

"And you complain about my flying when you pull a stunt like that!" Bulma almost got in his face about it.

He chuckled, leaning down and giving her a small kiss. She backed away quickly, still mad with him but embarrassed at the same time.

"How do we get in?" The Harpy asked, still looking queasy.

Kakarot walked in front of all of them and looked around for any sign of a panel of some sort.

He heard a loud set of clicks, as latches were opened. Clouds of dust covered the ground around them. "Freeze! What is your purpose?"

He knew the voice and was about to announce his return, but Kakarot beat him to it. "DAD!" The boy jumped forward, almost tackling the soldier on the other side. Laughter came from the behind the dust.

He felt himself smirk as the dust cleared and Bardock, followed by many others appeared.

He could feel the harpy looking over Kakarot's father. The boy looked almost identical to Bardock, so she was basically looking over what the boy would look like as an adult. He watched her blush as he took in the scene in front of him.

Kakarot was laughing, his father seemed ecstatic to see him. "When did you return?" The warrior asked.

"Vegeta and I just landed a couple of hours ago." Kakarot said.

Bardock suddenly turned to look at him. "I'm deeply sorry that I did not acknowledge your arrival sooner, Prince Vegeta."

The man made to bow, but he held his hand up to stop him. "Keep your head up soldier, we have much to discuss, but first where is your eldest? I need to speak with Raditz right away."

Bardock looked down at him almost in sadness. "He's in the med-wing, my lord. He hasn't left in weeks."

The med-wing? He knew Raditz was proficient as a doctor, but that was no reason for him to be in there for so long. "Why?"

Bardock seemed hesitant to tell him the reason. "Well, my prince….you see…."

He scoffed, looking up at the darkening sky. "Let us go inside, we can talk without being disturbed and without wandering eyes and ears."

He pushed himself past the soldiers and entered the bunker, followed by both of the girls.

"Your majesty, who are…?"

"They are Bulma Briefs and Chichi. You will treat them in the same manor that I am to be treated." He knew the questions concerning the girls would come up, but he had no time to explain everything in detail.

As he reached the control room, he made his way over to a table in the middle. Battle plans seemed to spread over the table in a disorganized fashion.

He looked over a couple of maps, thinking over the best plan of action for a rescue.

"What are you doing Vegeta?" Kakarot asked as the room looked on in awe. He could feel that the moral had already risen due to his arrival.

"I'm figuring out a plan of action. My brother needs to be removed from my father's grasp." He said, grabbing a light pen and going over a blueprint of the castle from the archives.

"About that, my lord…." Another Saiyan said nervously, but was cut off.

"My brother will be needed to end this war, his knowledge will be essential for the future." He argued, really what was everyone's problem. Tarble was in danger and he needed to be removed as soon as possible.

"It's not that, my lord. It's just…." Just as the man was about to finish his sentence, the door flew open and the Tech-Tech walked in.

She gave him a glare. "Look who finally showed up!"

He snarled. "I see that you have recovered from your wounds. What have you been doing besides laying around?"

The Tech-Tech continued to glare. "So the first place you run to is the war room? What about Tarble?!"

He cocked his head to the side. "Why do you think I'm in here?! I'm trying to make a plan to get him back!"

The Tech-Tech looked at him confused. "What are you talking about? Tarble came back weeks ago. He's in the med-wing."

He stared at her for a second. "What?"

"He broke out of the castle and made his way here. Raditz says he has multiple infections. That's why no one's been allowed to see him." She stated.

He looked away from Gure to stare at the rest of the room. "Why wasn't I told that Tarble was already here?"

"Sire, you never gave us a chance to explain…" He didn't let the man finish his sentence.

"Gure, take me to the med-wing." He made his way towards the door and froze. "Kakarot, do you still have the bag of senzu beans?" He said cocking his head around.

The boy nodded, digging into his armor and throwing him the bag. He caught it and made it down the hall.

"What is in that bag?" She asked curiously.

"Senzu beans." His mind was clearly only on one thing and one thing only.

"You said that but…"

"You talk o much." He snarled.

As they reached the end ward, he pushed the door open. What caught his eye, infuriated him.

Tarble was there alright. Laying there, bandaged and pale. Tubes were being ran everywhere, machines were beeping, giving him readings on his brother's condition.

A couple of the Saiyans in white lab coats walked forward, almost like they wanted to stop him.

"Prince Vegeta, I hate to be like this, but we can't have any outside bacteria in here. Prince Tarble's immune system is rather frail at the moment."

He shot the boy a glare and pushed past him, as Raditz came from a back room. Needle in hand. The boy looked dead on his feet. Large bags were under his eyes and he looked like he would drop dead himself.

"I see you have returned." Raditz said, looking back over at Tarble. "He came back right after our conversation." He noted that Raditz was looking him over for germs. "He came in with a couple of cracked ribs, internal bleeding, and multiple infections. I know that you want to see him, but I'm doing everything I can to keep him alive."

He held up his hand, beans in hand. "Try this."

Raditz looked at him confused. "What are..?"

"Those are senzu beans. He only needs one. I brought them back from Earth because I figured that you could find a way to duplicate them." He stated.

Raditz looked curious. "What do they do?"

"Give it to Tarble and find out." His eyes dragged over to his brother.

Raditz seemed to look at him in disbelief, but didn't question him. The boy went to open the pouch, but he seemed to be moving too slow.

He walked up and grabbed a bean himself. "You've done enough Raditz, get yourself some sleep."

The long maned Saiyan gave him a nod, probably too tired to function.

He walked over to his brother, he felt himself shake. Tarble had been through a lot in his short life, more than most adults could ever dream of.

He forced his brother's mouth open, placing the bean in his mouth, and helping him chew it. Forcing him to swallow by rubbing his throat.

He watched and he waited. It would probably take longer than Kakarot and Chichi had. They were bad, but not this bad.

He placed his hand, on his brother's shoulder, hanging his head. What if it didn't work? What if he was too late and Tarble was lost forever? How could he ever justify leaving his brother to the wolves like this? Just so he could become a Super Saiyan. He got greedy. Tarble didn't want him to leave, but he was only thinking of himself.

He didn't even try to stop himself as the tears began to fall. Cursing his father for the things he had done, cursing himself.

Under his hand, he felt a small twitch. His face flashed up as he watched Tarble eyelids shake.

His eyes slowly began to open and he watched as his brother pushed himself up, pulling some of the wires free.

Tarble looked at him in shock and disbelief. "Vegeta? Why are you crying?"

He couldn't say anything. All he could was launch himself forward, holding his brother against him. "I swear I will rip him to shreds." The tears kept falling. "I will show him no mercy."

Tarble tried to look around the room, as he held him tight. "Where am I?"

"The med-wing of the bunker." Raditz said. "You were really banged up." He could hear the relief in the older boy's voice.

"How long have I been out?" His brother asked frantically.

"Around two weeks." Raditz answered.

Tarble struggled again. "Vegeta, you can let me go."

He shook his head. Not yet. He had to keep telling himself that Tarble was alive. That his brother didn't hate him. That he wouldn't just wake up and this would be a dream.

When he finally found that he could pull away. His eyes were all dried up after showing his weakness to the entire med crew.

"We have a lot to catch up on." He said.

Tarble nodded. "Where do we start?"

He chuckled. "Why don't we start with you?"

To Be Continued….

 _Author's Note_

 _Damn, I didn't mean to make this chapter so long. I just had so much I wanted to cover and it ended up this way._

 _So everyone is now back on Planet Vegeta. Tarble is well again and he and Vegeta have been reunited. So what will the brother do that they are together again? What about Kakarot and Raditz? Bulma and Chichi? Guess you'll have to read to find out._


	45. Chapter 45

He couldn't help but feel a little disoriented, he did lose two weeks after all. But he was happy about one thing. Vegeta was back. His brother's response to his near death experience was rather shocking. He had seen his brother when he was lost for words, he had seen him in a murderous rage, he had even seen him when he was upset, but never in his life would have ever imagined that that would see his brother cry.

"So go ahead. What happened with our father?" Vegeta said, sitting down on the side of his bed.

He took a deep breath, did he really want to let his brother in on the fact that he almost betrayed him, especially after he got a reaction like that?

"Tarble?" His brother prodded.

He sighed, he owed Vegeta the truth, what kind of brother would he be if he lied. "He tried to turn me against you."

His brother gave him a sad look, but urged him to continue. "What did he do?"

He found himself looking down at this hands. "He locked me in that room for hours on end…..then he would let me out." He didn't want to continue. His actions were spineless and how would Vegeta react to his weakness?

"He let you out? Did you have some free reign then?" Vegeta looked very confused, he considered lying again, but older would see through him. He always had.

"No, he would pick me up, hug me, treating me like he actually cared about me. My fear of that room had me almost in the palm of his hand. And then there was the mess that Cuw started." He forced it out.

BANG!

His face snapped up to find a nearby table in pieces. His brother looked enraged. "What else? What did Cuw do?"

He looked back down. "Cuw somehow got into my mind. He was manipulating my dreams and thoughts. He set up a dream where you hated me." He couldn't help but look at his hands. "And I almost fell for all of it." He had started to cry. "I'm sorry, Vegeta. I should never have doubted you."

"Tarble, look at me." He kept his face down. Fully ashamed of himself. "Tarble, it wasn't your fault! Now look at me!"

Slowly, he looked up at his older brother. "But I almost turned on you."

"And you didn't. Besides, I was the one that left you here." Vegeta said, looking guilty.

"Brother, it isn't your fault. I was just too weak." He argued.

Vegeta shook his head. "No, I didn't listen to you. I was selfish and ran off in greed. Leaving you to that vulture." His brother snarled.

"But I was like putty in his hands. I forgot my pride." He snapped.

His brother crossed his arms. "But you remembered it. What cleared your mind enough to out of there?"

"It was mainly Cuw really. He used a model of you that was speaking to me. It started saying how you never cared about me and that you were just using me. My mind flashed back to the day we were going over plans for the future. When you said that we would rule together." He had finally found the courage to look in his brother's eyes. "I realized then that I was being manipulated."

"Really?" His brother stared at him, blushing slightly in embarrassment. This really was a strange day. Having both seen his brother cry and now he was blushing. What was the world coming to?

"Yeah, I escaped after that." His eyes went wide. He had forgotten. "I figured out how to use the Nightwalker power." That really caught Vegeta's attention. "It doesn't always work, but I've gotten it to work more than once."

"What happened?" His brother seemed to be sitting on the edge, awaiting his every word. It kind of reminded him of when they were younger but now their positions were reversed.

"The first time was the day after you left. I attacked father. It was only for a couple of seconds." He stopped, but his brother urged him on. "The second time was back at the castle. I was angry. There was a Tech-Tech that was making fun of me. I…"

"Yes?" Vegeta was smirking at him.

"I picked them up with my mind and impaled them on the coat of arms in the dining room."

His brother hadn't expected that. "So you killed him because he was mocking you?"

He nodded. "Yes, but that wasn't the last one. I ended Cuw as well. I choked him." He looked off to the side. "With my mind. I watched him on the other end of the hologram, clenching at his throat for relief, relief that he would never get."

If anything, his brother's grin grew. "I would like to see this for myself."

"I don't really know how to turn it on though. I tried to use it when I ran into father, after I killed Cuw. I was trying to escape." He found that he was speaking clearly again. "But it wouldn't work and father, he….he attacked me. After I told him that I wouldn't betray you, he went off on me, cracking my ribs. I was knocked out at some point and thrown down into the sewers. I found a tracking device on me, so I had to cut myself open and get it out. After that, I left. You know the rest." He said pointing down at the bed.

He watched as Vegeta looked conflicted. He seemed torn between rage and some other emotion. "He threw you in the sewer like trash?!"

He nodded. "Look on the bright side, he could have just killed me. He must have thought that I would lead him back to our base. That's why they put the tracker on me."

He gave Vegeta a confused look. He didn't look too angry now, he actually looked impressed. His brother reached out and ruffled his hair. He rarely did that. "And here I was all worried. I got into contact with Raditz while you were captured. Even if you were tore up, you still preformed a lot higher than my expectations."

"What?" Really what was his brother talking about?

"You rallied the resistance. You got them to a safe place and you gave a massive strike to the other side. From the look of it, the city has been without food drops. You successfully cut their communication with the outside world. You've learned a new ability and cut down a serious threat, who was connected with a spy. All while staying loyal to your cause in the end, even after being beaten and having your mind tampered with. So yes, you have definitely made me proud."

"But I…" He tried to argue.

"Tarble don't ruin this for me. Own your accomplishments, don't disregard them."

He couldn't help but smile. "I missed you."

His brother gave him a smirk. "Trust me, I missed you too."

"So, what were you doing while I was here? Did you become a Super Saiyan?"

Vegeta gave him a small smirk. "Yes, I did reach the legend, but that is only the beginning of the story.

"How did you do it?" It was his turn to be on the edge of his seat.

His brother laughed. "Well, I got really angry."

He gave his brother a frown. "That's it. You've gotten angry before and never made the change?"

Vegeta chuckled. "No, but I had someone else to fight for, rather than just myself."

Now he was really confused. "I don't understand."

Vegeta sighed. "Tarble….I found my mate."

He cocked his head to the side. "What?"

Vegeta chuckled. "Her name is Bulma. She's a human from Earth."

He couldn't believe it, he figured that it would take a millennia for his brother to decide on a female. Suddenly, a wave of nervousness hit him. What if she didn't like him?

Vegeta laughed. He must have read his face. "The two of you will get along just fine." His brother let out a huff. "Of all of the women, in the galaxy. I fell for the one who just as crazy about machines as you are."

He held up his hand. "Wait, she's an engineer?"

Vegeta nodded. "Our ship broke down on Earth. She built a new one from scratch in less than a week. It was the first time she built one as well."

He couldn't help but smile. "So the queen is going to be working with me a lot then?"

"We haven't mated yet, but she will be my queen. I'm thinking that we will produce a child that is both strong and smart."

He continued to question is brother, wanting to know every facet of this girl that would be included in their lives. She would be his sister-in-law after all.

* * *

Kakarot hadn't seen the prince return so he guessed that the older boy was speaking with his brother. At the same time, he figured that he needed to get the girls to a better place than the war room.

"Bulma, Chichi, come with me." He said and both girls hurried along after him.

He could sense their fear. All of this was new to them. Bulma seemed terrified without Vegeta around and Chichi just didn't know where to look.

They passed by a set of living quarters and he read the inscription. "This would be where the rest of my family is." His father had run off to report that Vegeta was back to the rest of the resistance.

He knocked and the door slid open, his mother looked down at him and practically squealed.

"Kakarot, you've returned. I bet you're hungry. Come in, come in, and tell me about your journey." She was pulling him into a tight hug as both girls giggled behind him, he felt slightly embarrassed. This caught his mother's attention. "Kakarot, who are your friends?"

He pulled himself free of his mother's hold. "This is Bulma, she's going to mate with Vegeta." His mother seemed rather shocked at this, but giggled when the girl blushed.

"Nice to meet you, Bulma. My name is Gine. I hope the prince has been on his best behavior." His mother continued to giggle to herself as she turned to the other girl. "And who is this young lady?"

He turned over to Chichi, who was shaking a little. She looked really nervous for some reason. "Mom, this is Chichi."

His mother leaned down in front of the blushing girl. "Hello Chichi are you a friend of Bulma?"

It was weird, as if all of the spunkiness of the girl he met back on Earth had vanished. "Yes, ma'am."

His mother laughed. "Why don't we go in and I'll make everyone some food then."

His stomach growled. "That sounds good to me." He turned to Chichi. "My mom can show you how to cook some of the stuff here on Planet Vegeta."

The girl blushed and his mother looked between him and Chichi, for some reason she had a knowing look on her face. He wanted to ask her what was up, but she had turned all of her attention to the red girl. "Do you like to cook?"

Chichi nodded. "Yeah, I cooked for everyone in our bunker back on Earth."

This made his mother raise her eyebrow, as they entered the living quarters. "You were in a bunker too?"

"Our planet was taken over by an evil army." Bulma answered for Chichi, who was still having trouble speaking. "Kakarot and Vegeta took care of the army along with some other threats."

"Oh my. What did your parents think about you coming all the way out here?" She asked and he watched both girls faces fall.

"Mom, why don't we change the subject?" He asked.

He was glad that his mother could read the mood. "Of course, Bulma why don't you and Kakarot sit and at the table, while Chichi and I get acquainted and make dinner. Your father and brother should be back soon, so I'll be making a lot."

Chichi blushed. "You don't have to worry too much about Bulma and me. Human only need a little food."

His mother looked taken back by the notion. "Really?"

"We only need about a plate of food." Bulma said and he nodded. He had also been confused by it, but at least it wasn't as bad as the Nameks. He shivered at the thought of only drinking a glass of water as a meal.

As they sat down and his mother and Chichi began work in the kitchen, the door opened again, his father was returning from is run and his brother was back from the med-wing.

"Bardock, Raditz, remember to take your boots off at the door." His mother shouted.

His father came into the kitchen, eyeing everyone in the room, before speaking. "We will have to heat up Raditz's food later. The boy is headed to his room."

His mother looked worried. "He really needs to sleep. How is Tarble's condition?"

Chichi piped up. "If Vegeta took him the senzu beans, he should be fine. Those things can heal anyone in seconds."

His father looked over at him. "Was that what was in that pouch?"

He nodded. "We had to use them back on Earth." He really didn't want to go over the beans really. He really didn't want to go over that moment of dishonor.

"They make you all warm inside. I was on the verge of death and one of those brought me back almost instantly." Chichi said.

His father sat down as a loud crash came from the living room. Instead of panicking, his family just sat there. Bulma and Chichi looking at all three of them.

"I'm betting that Raditz didn't make it to his bed." His mother said, "Chichi can you be a dear and stir this for me. I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

The girl nodded as his mother left the room to attend to his brother.

Now his father's eyes were on Chichi, like he was trying to figure out why his wife was allowing her to cook with her.

Chichi blushed again. "You keep turning red Chichi." He pointed out.

She turned redder. "No, I'm not!" She tried to cover her face, pulling the ladle out of the pan on the stove.

His father laughed as the two of them went back and forth. "Kakarot." He turned to look at his father, now he had the knowing look on his face. "You should learn this now, never argue with a woman. You'll never win."

"But…"

"Trust me. It never ends well."

To Be Continued….

 _Author's Note_

 _Not much to say this time. Just that we have official update days again. So this story will now update on Fridays and Saturdays._


	46. Chapter 46

The next morning he awoke, still groggy from all of his hours awake. He tried pulling himself out of bed, but he found himself to be too weak. That's what he got for over doing it. His muscle ached and his eyes drooped, a couple more minutes wouldn't hurt. It didn't take long for him to pass out again.

 _The room around him changed. He looked about the room. It looked familiar but he couldn't peg where he had seen it before. Everything looked very technical. As he scoured the walls, he found a sign on the wall. He now knew where he was. This was the commission, but why was he here of all places. His dreams had always been of that horrible place. Why was he dreaming about the first place he had gone after becoming free from her grasp?_

 _A sharp howl came from down the hall. The door slid open in front of him, as the director of the commission came running in. He looked absolutely terrified. Why?_

 _The director stared in fear. "Please don't kill me." He didn't understand, what was he talking about?_

 _Not giving him time to say anything, the director began to try and hide under a desk that was in the corner of the room._

 _The door blasted open, debris flew across the room, some of it hitting him. He felt it graze his cheek. He clapped his hand over the spot, it felt wet and warm. He pulled his hand away from his face, to find it covered in blood._

 _Bone chilling laughter echoed just outside what was left of the door. He prepared himself for whatever it was. It stepped into the room and his heart stopped._

 _Onna? The girl looked about the room. Her eyes landed on him and his mind went blank as he took in her appearance. He took a step forward, but something was wrong. Her smell was wrong. Why?_

 _She walked up to him, giggling. "It's been a while, Raditz." Something didn't feel right as she caressed his wound with her tail. Not only was the smell wrong, but Onna's demeanor didn't seem right either._

" _What are you doing here?" He asked, as she gave him a twisted smile._

" _I could say the same of you, my love." She said leaning forward, allowing him to get a full whiff of her scent. He almost gagged at a putrid odor that she was giving off. It took him back to the most horrible places within his memory. The room on the third floor of his personal hell._

 _He tried to back away, but she wouldn't allow that. "Come now, love. Don't you want to spend the rest of your life with me? You are mine after all."_

 _His body felt like ice, as he shook his head. "No….no…you're…you're dead." He said covering his mouth, trying to stop himself from throwing up._

 _She giggled. "You thought that I would just die from that? I will say that I was a little impressed by you. I didn't think you would dare to attack me, let alone kill me." Her tail had come up caressing his arm, but he didn't jolt away from her. He was terrified._

" _What have you done with Onna?!" He had to know. How did she get control of the girl's body?_

" _I think there are better things we could be talking about Raditz." She said, trying to move closer._

" _Like what?" He almost snapped._

 _To his surprise, she place her arms around his head and pulled him down into a kiss frantic. He stood there in shock as she kissed him, his eyes wide and completely shocked._

 _Her Saiyan tail wound around him and locked with his, making him groan, giving her an opening to push forward. As her tail stayed locked with his, he forgot where he was, giving into to what she wanted._

 _She opened her mouth, this time finding that he was the one pushing her against a wall. She let out a twisted giggle as they separated. His mind was in a fog, lost to the sensations that she was causing, by messing with his tail. "Raditz, love….do be a dear and get rid of our little guest for me."_

 _His eyes turned go find the director peaking his head out from under the desk. He felt angry that the man was watching them and growled. Before he knew what he was doing, he had walked over the man started kicking him in the stomach, the elderly man couldn't escape._

 _Behind him Zera, held him from behind, stretching up on her tip toes to look over his shoulder. As the man began to cough up blood, he placed his foot on the man's windpipe and watched with a grim satisfaction as he struggled under him. He felt himself smirk as the man let out his last breath._

 _She started caressing his tail, taking her thumb and running it up and down the full length of it._

 _He turned to face her, pulling his tail from her hands. She looked at him fearfully, thinking that her spell had been broke. But to his own horror, it had not. His Saiyan instincts were not being kind to him as he pounced, pushing her on top of the desk._

 _Her fear disappeared as a confident look plastered itself on her face. "Who do you belong to love?" She said, lifting her hand to touch the side of his face._

 _He felt dizzy as he looked down at Onna. 'No, it's Zera. It isn't Onna. Onna's gone.' Part of him wanted to kill the woman below, but she looked so much like the girl he really wanted and this was his fault. He gave into her, like he always did. Maybe, he did deserve Zera as his mate._

" _I belong to y…."_

" _Raditz." He felt his side being pushed but no one was there. He decided to ignore it as the voice faded away. He went to answer Zera again, but it came again. "Raditz! Come on!" He shook his head, he had other things to do, the voice could wait._

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain that snapped his head up and his eyes open. He looked around his room, trying to regain his breath. Kakarot was standing on top of him.

"Finally, I thought you would never wake up." His brother said with annoyance.

His eyes scanned the room, he was back in the bunker. He shook his head, no…he had never left the bunker. That would be impossible, it was all just a dream.

Kakarot kept bouncing up and down on the side of the bed, trying to get him up, but he was far too distracted. The dream seemed to be taking over his every being. What did it all mean? It felt so real. Did he really want Zera back in his life and what about Onna? Why did Zera look like her?

"Brother?" Kakarot asked, his voice no longer excited.

His tone caught his attention, as he turned to look at his younger brother. He knew that the boy had just returned from his time away with the Prince and was excited to see him again. He should at least look happy, right. Kakarot was home safe and sound. But as he looked at his brother's face, he noted his horrified expression. "What?"

Kakarot pointed at his face. "How did you cut your face?"

His heart stopped and he reached up and felt the fresh blood seeping from his wound. His mind going back to the dream, it just couldn't be possible. But how had he cut himself in his sleep? Hell, how had he left his bed and ended up in the director's office, with her.

He shook his head and Kakarot looked at him in disbelief. "You don't know how?"

He jumped out of bed, dressing quickly. He had to figure this out. There was no way that it was just a dream. He walked out the room without a word to his brother and found himself headed to the bathroom. He needed a mirror.

The bathroom was empty, which meant that he could take a good look at the cut on his face. It was more than a nic, but he wouldn't need any stitches. He took a couple of seconds to clean it, finding a fragment of metal in it. His mind flashed back to the metal door.

It just made no sense. How had he moved there in his sleep? How had Kakarot brought him back? There were just way too many unanswered questions.

He heard Kakarot knock on the bathroom door. "Raditz are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Kakarot. I'll be down for breakfast in a little bit." He answered back.

"But it's the middle the afternoon." His brother replied.

He couldn't believe that he slept that long. He forced the door open and was about to run off when he noticed the sad look on Kakarot's face. He sighed, he didn't have time for this. "What do you want?"

Kakarot looked away from him. "Nothing."

Now that was unexpected, Kakarot always tried to get him to do or say something in the past, what had changed. "You clearly want something, you wouldn't have jumped on me if he didn't."

Kakarot just backed up from him. Like he didn't really know what to say.

He sighed. "Kakarot spill."

The boy looked down at his feet. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have bothered you." He looked like he was about to turn around and leave.

He grabbed onto the other's shoulder. "You didn't bother me, my head is just a little cloudy right now."

"Mom and dad said that you had been up for almost 2 weeks straight, I shouldn't have woke you up, but you were talking in your sleep and Vegeta needed you." His brother looked at him worried.

Now that was shocking. "What did I say?"

"You said something about that Onna girl and then you started talking about that witch."

Now he was a little terrified. How much did Kakarot know? "What did I say about Zera?"

Kakarot's face scrunched up. "You said something about mating with her."

He took a deep breath. "Let's go back to my room and I can explain it."

"Raditz, she's dead and insane! Why would you want to mate with her?!"

He shook his head. "Kakarot, I don't want to mate with her. Just come with me and we can talk this out."

Kakarot seemed to calm down with that and they made their way back to his room. He sat on the edge of his bed and his brother joined him. "So what were you dreaming about?"

"I was dreaming of where Onna may be. She's off planet getting a transplant. In my dream, her body had been taken over by Zera." He watched as his brother took all of this in.

"But I still don't understand, why would you want Zera if she was in Onna's body?" That was a good question, he couldn't fault Kakarot for that.

"She looked like Onna, her smell was off, her personality was wrong, but I was taken in by the little things." He looked down at his brother to find him confused. "Word of advice, never let a woman touch your tail. It will make you a pile of goo in seconds."

Kakarot almost laughed at that. "But I don't get why her looking like Onna would be reason for you to want her?"

He almost face palmed when he remembered that Kakarot wasn't here when he made a fool of himself. The boy had no idea that Onna was his chosen mate. "Because Onna is probably going to be my mate."

"You like her?" Kakarot asked and he nodded.

"My mind was probably just playing on my fears and with my lack of sleep, everything just went to shit." He said.

Kakarot laughed. "So, is Onna going to be my new sister then?"

"I said probably, her father doesn't really like me and she is of a higher class than me." He answered.

Kakarot cocked his head to the side. "Brother, how did you get that cut on the side of your face if you were dreaming?"

He looked up at the ceiling. "That's why I'm on edge, Kakarot. It felt so real and part of me is telling me that it is real. That somehow, someway, I was transported there, even if it was just my mind."

Kakarot still looked confused. "Maybe we would talk about this with Tarble and Vegeta. They are waiting for us anyway. Vegeta did want to start organizing a war plan."

"Yeah, I can see that." He almost laughed, wanting to change the subject off of himself, he began to think up questions for Kakarot. "So how was your trip?"

Kakarot gave him a big smile. "It was amazing! Both Vegeta and I got to the Super Saiyan level. You should have seen the planet we ended up on. Vegeta didn't think that it was documented, as it wasn't in our logs and it had all kinds of plants and animals I have never seen before."

Now that really peaked his interest. "Is that where those beans came from?"

"Yeah, the senzu beans are from there. Vegeta brought some of them so you could maybe find a way to replicate them." Kakarot said.

He smirked, only Vegeta would come up with more work for him. "So what you're saying is that we need to get to the war room."

Kakarot nodded. "Yeah, Vegeta sent me to get you and when I got here you were screaming in your sleep."

He pushing himself off the bed. "Come on then, we shouldn't keep him waiting." Kakarot smiled and jumped off the bed, heading towards the door.

His little brother turned to look at him. "Raditz?"

"Yes, Kakarot?"

"Does Onna make you happy?" The young boy asked.

He smiled. "She does."

"Does she help you forget about what happened to you?"

Again he nodded. "Yes, she does help with that."

"Then I would say, to forget her dad and go for it. I want you to be happy." Kakarot said.

He was taken aback. Kakarot had never been this vocal about these kinds of things. Maybe his little brother had grown up a little during his trip. "Trust me, I will fight for her tooth and nail if I have to." He chuckled, maybe someday you'll run into a girl that will make you happy as well." He watched his brother smile. "Now, we wouldn't want to make Vegeta wait any longer than we already have."

With that they left their living quarters in the bunker, but he still couldn't get his mind off of that dream. He knew for certain that now it wasn't a dream. It was real. Somewhere, out there, was the one person he had hoped to never face again. As they walked down the hall, he could feel his stomach tossing and turning as he thought about the torture that the girl he loved had to be enduring, as she shared a body with the creature of his nightmares.

 _To Be Continued…_

 _So, how did Raditz get to see Onna/Zera? Not only that but it seems that Raditz can still be full controlled by her. She seemed to want to appeal to Raditz more than torture him this time…or does she?_

 _I did want to take some time here to go over where I got the idea for Zera. Zera is based on a woman known as Delphine LeLaurie, an historical figure with the one of the most twisted personalities and undoubtedly one of the most evil women in the history of the United States,maybe even the world. Delphine grew up in New Orleans were her family owned slaves. To the outside world Delphine looked put on a facade of being this kind, loving woman that cared for her slaves, but on the inside of her home she was one of the most abusive/sadistic people to have ever lived. She was barred from having slaves after one of her a slave girl jumped from the roof of her home, trying to escape punishment. But that didn't stop her from getting them. Friends and family chipped in and she kept some on her property. That was until a fire started in the home and fire fighters/police were dispatched to the home, where it was discovered that an African American Woman had set the fire on purpose because she didn't want to go to a room on the top floor, where no one ever returned. You can probably guess what they found when they went to check._

 _Now you're probably wondering why I thought it was a good idea to make a character based off of this woman and I'll tell you. Because she was real and because she was real it makes her acts far more disturbing than any horror movie could ever provide. In my opinion, good villains cannot be black and white, they should have as many layers to them as any other character. She was the perfect inspiration for the most twisted character I have ever made._

 _But anyway, I hope that you are enjoying this series and continue to do so._


	47. Chapter 47

He had been pacing for quite a while now. He had sent Kakarot off to get Raditz, but they were taking too long, he didn't want to start going over ideas until the two of them were back.

Tarble was up and running around, Gure seemed rather happy to see him walking around again. Bulma was sitting near him, looking nervous. She and Tarble, had not really introduced themselves yet, so they didn't know how to react to each other. Heck, he didn't tell his brother what Bulma looked like, so Tarble probably thought that she was someone else.

Kakarot's father stood propped against the wall, waiting for his children to appear. While his mate and Chichi were down in the kitchens.

Looking about the room again, he figured it was time to introduce the two. "Tarble, could you come here for a second?"

His brother looked up from his conversation with Gure. "Give me a second, Vegeta." He watched as Gure gave him a small glare. He would have to watch the girl from now on. If Tarble was to mate her in the future, he would need to understand how the girl operated. She almost grabbed his brother's arm as he went to move, but stopped as he sent a glare straight back. If she thought that she would get to be his brother's mate without his permission, then she had another thing coming. At the moment, his brother wasn't showing any signs of wanting to take her as a bride, as Chichi would put it, he seemed to see her as a friend. But he knew that could change with time.

"What did you need?" Tarble said, almost making him jump. He had been so focused at glaring at the Tech-Tech to notice his brother as he approached.

He shook his head, gathering himself for this. He was actually really happy to introduce them. "Tarble, I would like you to meet Bulma. Bulma this is my brother Tarble."

His brother suddenly looked nervous as Bulma giggled. "Vegeta has told me a lot about you."

"Yes, he said a lot about you yesterday." Tarble said with a small smile.

"From what Vegeta says, you're a genius." He could tell that she was appealing to Tarble's pride.

Tarble blushed. "Only when it comes to machines."

She giggled. "You don't need to be modest. From what I gathered, you can speak multiple languages and have a deep understanding of physics as well."

"Well, I just kind of had to learn those things. Engineering is really my forte." He could tell his brother's inner Saiyan pride was starting to show. He was starting to get more comfortable with Bulma. "What about you? Vegeta said you're a bit of a genius as well. From what I heard, you made a ship in less than a week."

She laughed. "Oh, that was nothing. We needed it to get off of Earth, I just did my part."

"I should have you look over some of the plans I have to look over the new software I'm coming up for the palace, once this war is over that is." That got his attention.

"What are you talking about, Tarble?" He asked.

"Well after I bugged the old system, I figured that a new and better systems should be crafted. Just don't use passwords that aren't so obvious." He could hear a slight twinge of annoyance in his brother's voice.

"Are my passwords that bad?" He asked.

Tarble just stared at him. "Maybe just stick with numbers rather than words. Based on your personality, it could have been really easy for an outsider to get into the mainframe."

While he felt a little embarrassed, he knew that Tarble was right. "Fine, you come up with the passwords from now on then."

Tarble seemed ready to say something as the doors flew open and Raditz and Kakarot stepped in. Both very quiet. He knew that they didn't have the best brotherly relationship, but they had just been reunited. They should have been a lot happier and talkative.

"You're late." He stated, but quickly noted that Raditz was distracted, as the boy ran to a computer as soon as he entered the room and began typing nonsense. He turned to Kakarot, but the boy looked like he didn't want to speak either.

"Boys? Mind telling me what is wrong?" He had almost forgotten Bardock presence. Maybe he could get them to solve their problems with each other.

But Kakarot and Raditz stayed silent and soon the only noise in the room was the loud sound of typing, as the older boy scanned the screen.

Bardock moved away from the wall, over to his youngest. He already knew that he could answers out of Kakarot a lot easier than he could Raditz. "Son, can you tell me what you and Raditz are fighting about?"

Kakarot cocked his head. "What makes you think we're fighting?"

Not only was he shocked, but Bardock seemed to almost fall over in astonishment. "Ummm…well son, the two of you didn't look like you were speaking when you came in here."

"Oh that, we had a talk before we left our living quarters." He noticed that Kakarot didn't want to go into details.

He looked back over to Raditz and the boy stood up from the computer and walked passed him over to a random bookshelf. He had seen this behavior before. Raditz was on the search for information, but what kind of information was he looking for? "Kakarot, did Raditz say why he feels the need to do research now?"

Kakarot shuffled his feet. "I…I don't know if he wants me to tell you."

He looked at his young charge in disbelief. "Kakarot tell me right now, what is Raditz looking for?!"

Again Kakarot refused. "I can't tell you."

Now he was getting angry. "We are at war, I would like to know what our resources are being used for."

To his surprise, Kakarot looked a little angry. "Doesn't feel good to be left in the dark does it?"

He froze. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on, Vegeta. You left me out of the loop about what really happened to Raditz all of those years ago. So I'm going to say to you, the same thing that you said to me. When he's ready to tell you, he will." Kakarot said, crossing his arms with a confident look on his face.

On the other hand, he was bewildered. Where was this coming from? The boy wasn't letting up on this.

"Kakarot, the Prince has given you an order. I'd advise you to follow it." Bardock stated, using a strict tone.

But Kakarot wasn't having any of that. "No."

"Young man, I swear…." Bardock started as the book that Raditz was holding had dropped to the floor. But that didn't seem to be Bardock's focus. "Raditz, what happened to your face?" The older Saiyan said moving over to his older son.

All of this had started to attract attention from everyone in the room. Tarble and Bulma had been busy talking, and it looked like Gure had joined them. Now everyone was staring at Raditz's face.

But Raditz seemed far more out of it to say anything. He had gone pale for some reason.

"Brother?" Kakarot said walking over and shaking him. "What did it say?"

But Raditz didn't answer, instead he fainted, falling backwards into the bookcase.

He cursed as he watched Bardock move over to his eldest son in a panic. What could have been so bad as to make Raditz faint?

Into the room, popped Chichi, who was carrying in their meal for the session. She looked around the room. "What is going on?"

Bulma sighed. "Kakarot won't tell anybody about what's bothering his brother and now he's gone and fainted."

He was rather glad that she was the one to say it. He was far too angry with the younger Saiyan to say coherent sentences at the moment.

The girl put the pot down on the table and moved over to where Kakarot was standing over Raditz. "Goku?" Chichi said the strange name that the Earthlings had given the young boy, much the confusion of the rest of the room. "Can you please tell us why your brother has passed out?"

He expected some resistance from Kakarot, but instead the boy gave her what she wanted. "Okay, he had a bad dream."

"What about?" She asked.

Kakarot looked sad. "That mean lady. The one he was locked up with for a long time."

So it was just a dream about Zera? Surely Raditz didn't have a problem with that anymore. She was dead.

"He freaked out when he saw the cut on his face. I think he got cut open in the dream, so now he's freaked out." That was really odd. Raditz probably just scratched himself in his sleep and was overreacting the nightmare.

Tarble had walked over and taken the book off of the floor and began to read the page that Raditz had dropped it on. "Anything worth noting?" He asked, almost joking, but stood there in shock as Tarble turned white. "What?"

"It…it can't be. It just can't. The probability of that happening would be so low….how…." With that Tarble fainted.

What was going on? He turned to Bulma, who was already on her way over to the fallen Tarble. "Don't worry about him. Just read the book." Whatever it was it, wasn't going to affect her.

She gave him a small frown. As she picked up the text and scanned the page. "What is a Frostian?"

Kakarot had said that his brother had dreamed about his former tormentor, so it wasn't hard to believe that he was looking up her people. But she was dead, so why did both his brother and Raditz faint. "It's the race that once had control over the Cold Empire. That once controlled us." He hated having to admit that last part.

Bulma nodded and he looked back over at Raditz's father who not only looked confused, but a little disturbed over the fact that his son was looking up Froatians in the first place.

She began to read aloud. "Froatian organ and organelle processes. The living structures of the Frostian are much like those of Saiyans, Oripiams, Tartugans, and Heriocomas, but with one large difference. Due to their ability to change forms, Frostians have very adaptable bodies and organ systems. This allows them to live longer than most races as their organs can have a mind of their own." What did this have to do with anything? Why had this made Raditz faint in the first place?

"Is that it?" He asked, annoyed with how times were going.

Bulma shook her head. "No, there is more. I was just scanning the page, because it goes over all the chemical make ups, which I know you won't understand." He nodded, glad that she had thought best not to waste his time. She cleared her throat. "Regeneration is one of the Frostian's most unknown talents. Unlike many species, Frostian regeneration goes farther than just replacing a tail or fin. Implantation of an organ into a new host body can cause the host to be overwhelmed as the Frostian takes hold over that body, much like the parasite, Ciratofactus. (See page 725). If not detected early enough, the Frostian will retain their hold over the host until they end their life cycle." Bulmas said, finishing up the passage.

"Is that all? What was so bad about that?" He asked.

It seemed that all eyes had landed on Bulma, as flipped the page to what he thought was that parasite. She looked a little scared. "Do you know anyone that needed to have a transplant of any kind?"

He was going to shake his head, but was interrupted by Gure of all people. "Onna, the girl Raditz liked needed a heart transplant."

Kakarot scratched his head. "Yeah, she was in Raditz's dream too. Only that mean lady was controlling her body."

Bulma dropped the book. "Not this again?" He groan, even though she didn't faint.

"You don't understand….If Frostian's can regenerate like this, there is a chance that that woman is walking around again. Only this time, she has a new body." Bulma said, sounding terrified.

Her words had stopped him in his tracks. "So you're saying that she could be using another body?"

"If one of her organs was placed in another, it is possible." Bulma stated, sounding all scientific.

He thought back to that night, when he had walked into the room after Raditz and Tarble had cleaned themselves. They had removed most of her organs from her body, but very few of them were damaged. The only part of her that looked severe was her throat. He backed up, falling into a chair. "The commission came in after she died. They might be keeping her organs as they were a part of the investigation."

To his side, Raditz was coming too. The long haired Saiyan was rubbing his head, as he looked around the room. Probably wondering why he was on the floor in the war room of all places. "What's going on?"

He let out a huff. "You fainted after reading that book. Mind telling us why?"

He could tell that the other was trying process everything. "She's….she's back."

"How do you know?" This was silly, even with this knowledge and Onna's transplant, Raditz had just had a dream.

"Where do you think I got this cut from? Somehow, someway, Zera has risen from the ashes and this time Onna is the one that has to be tortured by her presence." Raditz snapped.

"How could you go somewhere and come back in your sleep?" He snapped back.

"I don't know, but I landed in the commission director's office. The door blasted open and that's how I got the cut on my face. She came in. We talked. I woke up." Raditz spat.

Now he was Curious. "What could you possibly talk about?" This was the woman that had tortured the older Saiyan for years. Why would he even be comfortable talking to her? Hell, why would he even talk to her?

Now Raditz looked uncomfortable. "This and that." He looked over at Kakarot, almost daring his little brother to spill the beans.

He felt himself smirk. "So Kakarot, what was Raditz talking to Zera about?"

Raditz looked horrified, but Kakarot seemed to be distracted by the food that Chichi had brought in. "Sorry, what was the question?"

"What was your brother talking about in his dream?" He wanted some answers. He knew far too well how much power the woman had over Raditz and that would be important if he was to trust his old friend.

"I don't know." Kakarot shook his head, clearly lying to him. It wouldn't matter, he would figure out why in the end.

Raditz seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, which again caught his eye, but he had no time to linger on the subject, as Tarble came to as well.

He noticed the sad look that his brother gave Raditz. "Is it true? Is she back?"

Raditz sighed, looking down at the floor. "As much I would like to lie to you right now, I can't." He looked Tarble right in the eye. "She's back and far more dangerous than ever before."

He turned his face to watch Bardock's face, the man had always blamed himself for what had happened to his son. The man's face was red, his rage was building. His hand, which was gripping the table, was starting to make the cracks in the table.

So his surprise, Raditz was the first one to his side. "Dad, calm down."

The man's gritted his teeth. "Calm down! How can I stay calm knowing that the woman that hurt you is out there alive!"

"I know, but right now that isn't what we need to be focusing on. We have a war here and I need to figure out how to separate them." Raditz said, with a hint of sadness in his voice.

His father was staring at him like he was a madman. "Do you really think that you can separate them? Onna is gone! That book said so!" He pointed at Bulma, who was still holding the book.

"Then I'll find a way to rewrite that book! It wouldn't be the first time!" Raditz practically snarled. Catching the whole room off guard.

"Awwwwww." Chichi said. He looked over at the harpy as she had that look on her face that spelled trouble. "That's so romantic."

He was about to object to the girl's reaction, only to find Bulma and Gure in agreement.

"That's so cute!" Gure gushed.

"He's going to need help if he's going to figure this out." Bulma said, scanning trough the book.

He groaned, this was supposed to be a war meeting, not a discussion of Raditz's love life. "Can we please get back to the problem at hand?!"

"Vegeta!" Bulma said, looking quite cross with him. "He's torn up about this and all you care about is getting back at your father! This girl could be lost forever, try and show a little sympathy!"

Vegeta couldn't help but jump a little at her tone. "Look Bulma, there is a war going on! I can't be putting our soldiers at risk because our biologist wants to waste our time on some girl!"

SMACK! "So it was okay for you to waste time on Earth going after Piccolo, but it's not okay for him to go after his girlfriend."

He rubbed the side of his face. "The situation was different, your people would have been at the mercy of Piccolo, and if I let him work on his little project then we will be at the mercy of my father."

"Don't you at least have some sympathy for him? What if it was me?" Bulma said sadly.

"A Saiyan doesn't show sympathy. The last thing that Raditz wants is your pity. He's a Saiyan like me. It is an insult to pity him." He almost shouted in her face.

Bulma backed up and looked over to where Raditz was, but the boy wasn't paying attention. Instead, he was removing book after book from the shelf. He looked like he wasn't even listening to their argument.

Bulma looked like she was about to apologize. But he made her hold her tongue. "What are you doing?"

"I told you. I'm going to find a way to separate them." He said, covering the table in books.

"But I need you to figure out how to replicate the senzu beans. As you said earlier, we are at war Raditz, your girl problems can wait." He stated crossing his arms.

"Give me one of the beans and I will work on it at the same time. I can do more than one thing at once Vegeta." The long haired Saiyan said. "I can take all of these books over to the office and I can work in there with some peace and quiet. You'll get what you want Vegeta, I promise you that. Just give me the time to figure this out. Not just for Onna, but for me." Raditz said looking him in the eye.

Now he knew what this was all about. Freedom. If Raditz could separate his greatest tormenter from the girl he loved, then maybe, just maybe he could finally be free of the nightmare. The horror that he had to live with, due to her disturbing actions.

He sighed. "Just make sure that you get whatever I ask of you done first. Then you can do as you please."

Raditz nodded. "I'll get those beans done within the next week or two. It should take long to replicate them."

He took a deep breath, glad that he a finally solved that problem. Now he just had the problem with Kakarot's attitude.

He walked behind the young boy and watched as he continued to eat. "Want some Vegeta?"

His arms were still crossed as he glared down at the young boy. "What was that about earlier?"

Kakarot cocked his head to the side. "What was what about?"

He almost snarled under his breath. "When I asked you about Raditz, why did you withhold information from me?" He then turned to the Harpy. "And why did you tell her instead?"

The harpy giggled, thinking she was something special, the last thing that she needed was ego boost. "Oh that, I just wanted to show you how it feels."

Now it was his turn to look confused. What was Kakarot talking about?

The young boy laughed. "When I wanted to know about my brother's past, you would never tell me. I had to learn it by overhearing you as you talked to Bulma, so I figured you needed a taste of your own medicine."

He couldn't believe it. Kakarot had just turned the tables on him and as much as he wanted to punish his young charge, he couldn't. He had done what was to be expected. "I'll let this slide this time Kakarot, but in the future, I will expect no funny business."

Kakarot just gave him a silly grin. "Just don't keep anything from me and I won't have to."

He face palmed, thinking to himself if Bardock's sons were really worth the headache.

To Be Continued….

 _Author's Note_

 _So here's another long one. It's long for a reason as there will not be an update next week for this as I have kennel duty. I'm going to a veterinary school, so I have kennel duties every quarter and they last all day and are five days out of the week, along with studying for my mid-term. I promise that there will be some good sized chapters the following Friday._


	48. Chapter 48

He had locked himself off from everyone else as he came up with a plan of attack. There were so many different angles he could take, but he wanted to have little to no casualties. They had numbers on their side, but those from the lower classes were not trained to the level that he would need to conquer. He would need to fix that. In the future, he would need all of his warriors to meet his expectations in battle. Taking the crown from his father was one thing, going after the rest of the galaxy, was going to be different story entirely.

Taking over the Commission and other parts of the galaxy would take negotiations and trade deals. His armies would have to be the strongest. His tech, the most state of the art. Anything that could give him an edge, would be considered.

But right now, he had his father and his cronies to contend with. Part of him thought that it was too bad that the majority of elites had sided with his father. If there was one thing he had in common with his father, it would be that he gave no second chances. Those that chose to stand with his father, would be put to death for their crimes. It would be a waste of talent in some cases, but he would not allow any room for deceit. They had already been deceived more than once, and he would not allow it to happen again. The first time, he had almost lost his life. The second, he almost lost Tarble. If he it happened again, he could lose everything.

A small knock came to the door. He expected for the person to introduce himself, but that didn't happen. Whoever it was, just kept standing there, like they thought that he should answer the door.

He huffed, unless he stated his business, he wasn't going to answer it. He looked down at the plans again. Some of which were left over from when Tarble had planned his attack on the city.

He had to say he was very impressed with what his brother had done. Tarble's plan seemed fool proof. Everything probably would have worked if it wasn't for the spy.

The knocking became louder, and he glared at the door. Did someone think that they were being funny? Did they not know that he had work to do?

He had had enough. If they wanted to bother him so badly, then they deserved to have an ass chewing.

He walked up to the door and hit the button that slid the door open. He found that he was forced to look down. If he wasn't frowning before, he was now.

Gure looked up at him with a glare and he really wanted to punch her in the face. He hadn't been back two days and he already despised the Tech-Tech princess. He wondered what Tarble saw in her.

"Unless you have something from my brother, then I suggest that you leave here at once." He stated, a growl on the tip of his tongue.

"Like I really want to talk to you. Tarble just wanted to know if you wanted to go and have dinner with him and Kakarot's family." She said, her glare intensifying.

He almost smirked as he heard her voice change pitch. She had not been invited to dinner. Tarble was just using her to give him the message. Maybe Tarble didn't see anything in her after all. "Tell him that I will be there. We have a lot to discuss."

Her lip twitched as she looked like she wanted to say something, but didn't. She turned and left.

After closing the door, he began to put his things away. There was no reason to leave everything lying around.

He made sure to arm the room before he left. He had forgot to eat both breakfast and lunch today, so he was kind of glad for the interruption.

He knew where Kakarot's family lived. Tarble had told him where their living quarters were. He was rather happy that the accommodations down here weren't bad. Some of the changes that Tarble and Raditz put into place down here made it seem homey in a way.

He wasn't stopped in the hall. They knew not to disturb him unless there was a threat.

He didn't knock when he got to the family's quarters, he just walked in. As expected, Kakarot was talking with his father, Bulma and Chichi were in the kitchen with Kakarot's mother, and Tarble was sitting by himself reading. Raditz was nowhere to be found, but that was to be expected. The older boy was probably so absorbed into his projects that he had forgotten the outside world. Tarble did that every once and a while.

There was also the Onna factor in all of this. After this war was over, he would need to go around getting her back. He was angry with Raditz over his actions the day before, but he understood. Only Tarble, Raditz, and himself knew that that woman was capable of, she would stop at nothing to try and get Raditz back. Her words before death were enough for him to conclude that she still loved the older boy in that twisted way of hers.

He sighed and now she was running around, using the body of the girl that that same boy had fallen in love with. Now that he had time to think it over, Raditz nervousness made sense. He didn't want Kakarot to reveal what he was really dreaming about. In his own twisted way, Raditz loved Zera.

His mind flashed to how the boy once followed her every whim. The boy's mind had been poisoned by all of the pain and suffering that he had endured. Tarble explained it to him once. A psychological disorder that caused victims to fall in love with their captors. It wasn't a stretch to believe that Raditz carried some feelings for his former tormentor.

But that didn't seem to be the reason that he wanted to find her. He wanted to separated Zera from Onna. His intentions were to free the girl he loved, from the woman that would forever cast her shadow over his life. He didn't wish to return to her side.

He did wonder what Raditz would do once he had them separated though. What would Raditz do to his walking nightmare?

"Vegeta? Are you just going to stand in the door way or are you going to come and sit down?" Tarble asked, giving him a worried look.

He shook his head. "Yea." Walked over to his brother and sat down, noting his brother's curious expression.

"You have something on your mind." His brother knew him too well, making him smirk.

"You could say that." He leaned back into the couch, watching as Kakarot and Bardock got up and headed to the kitchen. He wanted to laugh at how food motivated the family was, but he had other things on his mind.

"Mind letting me in." Tarble said, crossing his arms

He almost chuckled, the look in his brother's face reminded him of himself. "I was just wondering about your little girlfriend." He joked.

Tarble didn't look amused. "She's not my girlfriend."

Now he did laugh. "But she follows you everywhere. She even screamed at me when I returned."

Tarble sighed. "I don't get it. She's a friend, nothing more. I can't give her what she wants."

He expected his brother to look torn, but he didn't. "So you find her to be a bother then?" This was surprising. From how she was acting, he swore that something was going on.

"She can be helpful, as a friend. I just don't see her that way." Tarble admitted.

"So it's all one sided." He stated.

Tarble nodded. "I know some of her feelings are my fault. I didn't try and discourage her."

He arched an eyebrow up. "What are you talking about?"

His brother looked a little guilty. "I kind of led her on. I needed her help, so I used her feelings for me, so that I could get what I wanted."

He blinked a couple of times, before smirking. This was new. "You really are something, you know that."

Tarble cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?"

He chuckled. "I swear, every time I talk to you I find you acting more and more like Saiyan royalty."

"Well I couldn't take her as a wife anyway. What kind of queen would she even be?" Tarble said a little peeved.

He smiled, he had nothing to worry about on that front, but decided to have a little fun. "I don't know. She is a princess."

Tarble snorted. "A princess of what? She has no planet to control. It is in our jurisdiction now, so what would be the point of mating her. It would do nothing."

He was stunned at how cold his brother sounded. Did he really think that mating needed to be a power move? If that was the case, he wouldn't have considered Bulma as a mate. "You don't mate for power."

Tarble looked at him confused. "Sure you do. You look for someone that can produce you proper heirs and ensure your future. Bulma's race is close enough to ours where that is possible. Gure's is not." The boy said flatly.

He was speechless. He didn't fully agree with what Tarble was saying, but he couldn't dismiss his logic. They were royalty. They had to produce children of their own. It was the only way to continue on the legacy that they were creating.

"Foods ready!" Bulma said coming into the living room. "You two better hurry before Kakarot eats it all."

He watched as Tarble got up without a word and headed toward the kitchen, but he stayed seated. He just wanted to gather himself before he headed to the kitchen himself.

* * *

He smirked to himself. Did Vegeta really think that it would take him that long to replicate those beans? He had just configured their DNA and had three different setups going on them. One he just planted a bean, the second one had the DNA implanted into another seed from Planet Vegeta, and the last had him converting the beans healing power into pill form. All of that had taken all day.

He sighed as he looked over at his other project. He knew that science was not on his side with this. There was no text that concluded if a Frostian could be separated from its host body, at least any where the host lived. This would be a delicate procedure.

But even then, he had no idea if Onna was still alive in there. Knowing Zera, she had to have killed her and taken over. If that was the case, he didn't know what he would do. Sure, there were other females, but it wouldn't be the same. He didn't know if he could find it in himself to mate with anyone else.

He walked over and sat down, looking over the one of the books again. Maybe he had missed something.

Before he knew it he had worked hard into the night. It was way past dinner time and his stomach growled a little, but he couldn't pull himself away from his work. Just the idea of her being out there made it practically impossible to sleep and after the last couple of weeks, that wasn't a good thing.

The door slid open and he turned around expecting his father. To his surprise, Tarble had just walked in. He thought Vegeta would be occupying his brother's time, so he gave them their space.

He stayed silent, wondering why Tarble had come out here this late.

Tarble sighed before walking over to the desk and sitting down, grabbing one of the books that he was looking through. "Do you know her last location?"

He looked down. "She was at the commission."

Part of him wanted to stay off of the topic of the commission. He was ashamed of what he had almost done. But another part of him wanted to get all of this off his chest and get over it.

"Raditz is there something that you aren't telling me?" Tarble probed.

He should have known better, Tarble wasn't someone that he could lie to. His best friend could see right through him. He let out a breath that he didn't know that he was holding. "It's just a lot."

Tarble nodded. "I would expect so." Tarble said, flipping through a couple of pages. "Do you think that she is heading here?"

He didn't hesitate. "Yes."

Tarble looked up from the book and locked eyes with him. "She's coming after you, isn't she?"

He nodded, not really wanting to say the words.

"Do you want her to?" Tarble asked, looking stern.

"I don't know. It's all very confusing." He said.

He looked down at the book again, the words started blending together. He couldn't think straight. He felt his arm begin to shake.

He didn't see his best friend reach across the table to steady him. As soon as the hand landed on him, he looked back up. Tarble looked concerned. "Raditz, why don't you start at the beginning. Remember how much it helped you last time we talked about this."

"But I don't…" He started to argue.

"You know that I'm not here to judge you." Tarble sighed. "We all have our moments of weakness."

He wondered what Tarble was talking about, but pushed that thought away. Tarble was focused on getting answers out of him and he knew better than to deny him. The younger Prince always got answers out of him in the end.

To Be Continued….

 _Author's Note_

 _I returned, lol. I did enjoy my week off, even with all of my studying and kennel work. During that I did do some work on some of my smaller projects. Some of which got posted this week and the others next week. One of them is an alternate timeline to the events from Tales of the Forgotten, which is the prequel to this story. Basically, it's a completely new story, with Raditz turning into whatever Zera planned for him to be. That and Raditz is the middle child, with Turles being his older brother. So if you enjoyed how dark Forgotten was, you will probably enjoy The Middle Child._

 _As for news for this story, I know in the beginning I said that it would be around 60 chapters, but I think it may be into the hundreds now that I have all of my plot points written down._


	49. Chapter 49

He should have left for bed, but he and Tarble stayed up looking through books. He knew that there had to be an answer somewhere. He just wasn't looking in the right places.

Tarble sighed as he put down his book. "This is getting us nowhere. We should stop and go to bed."

He shook his head. "You can go. I'll stay here."

"Raditz, you need to rest. All you're going to do his hurt your chances by doing this." Tarble argued.

"I just feel like the answer is in front of me, I just can't see it." He huffed.

Tarble gave him an annoyed look. "That's what I mean. You're too tired. Maybe if you slept, everything will come into focus."

He shook his head. "I'm fine here."

Tarble crossed his arms. "I think your trying to avoid sleeping for some reason. I know that you ran into her in your dream, but what if the answer to all of this is in your dreams?"

He gave his friend a glare. "You really think that she would leave a clue like that? She's not an idiot."

"If you would tell me what all happened, then maybe I could help you. But you've been so quiet about all of this. You can trust me, you know." Tarble said, frustrated with him.

He hung his head. The younger boy was right. "I do trust you. It's just hard to go over this stuff, you know. It isn't my favorite subject."

The smaller boy let out a laugh. "And you think that I like it? I know I didn't live like that like you did for so long, but I did watch her kill all of those kids before she turned on me."

He had almost forgotten about that. Vegeta had been passed out when she had started tearing apart the other children. Tarble on the other hand, was forced to watch the carnage. The two of them both knew what the woman was capable of. Why shouldn't he tell Tarble? The other boy already assured him that he wouldn't be judged. "I did something very shameful and I can't figure out if it was just my hormones or if it's what I really want."

He watched to see what Tarble's reaction would be. "What do you mean?"

He sighed. "I may or may not have kissed her."

He waited for the yelling to start. For Tarble to tell him that he was insane and tell him that he was a moron, but it never came. Instead, he stayed silent, allowing him to continue.

"She grabbed my tail at some point and I just lost control." He admitted, he hated his own weakness. Even after all of these years, he wished that could have at least pulled away from her, but here she was. Back alive and dragging him back down into hell.

"Then you don't really want her." Tarble said, surprising him.

"What are you saying? I kissed her. I gave into her." He said stunned at the Prince's words.

"She grabbed your tail. You know as well as I do that if you can get a hold of a Saiyan's tail, you can control us. She was using the sensory overload we get from having our tails touched against you. You're the biologist, you know all of his information. Instead of focusing on your actions, focus on hers and you'll see that I'm right." The Prince said confidently.

He scratched his head, as he did what Tarble told him to do. Replaying the entire thing in his head wasn't pleasurable, but he was starting to see what the younger was saying. When she touched his tail, it was almost like drugging himself. His actions, words, and thoughts had all been clouded. Not only that, but he was looking at the body of someone that he really wanted. Maybe that was enough for him to act the way he did. "How do I stop that from happening. You know as well as I do that she will use it again."

Tarble smirked. "See I told you. You would have to be insane to want to be with her."

"You don't have to gloat about it." He snapped.

"What? You already know that I can read you like a book." The younger said, laughing. "Anyway, the only way around the whole thing would be to remove your tail." Tarble said, leaning back into his chair.

He thought it over for a couple of seconds, it would grow back, he already knew that, but it was so taboo among their kind. "Wouldn't that leave me blind?"

"In some ways yes, but it would only be until Zera has been taken care of. Your tail will grow back and it would remove your weakness. You would be able to sleep without her having that over you." His friend's logic was sound, but there was still the fear that came with being in her presence.

"Well there is one other problem." He said, not wanting to really say it.

"You're afraid of her." Tarble said, looking uneasy. "I do have to admit that if I had run into her, I wouldn't be the bravest person in the world. Heck, I fell apart after being placed in that room for less than 5 minutes."

He blinked a couple of times at his friend. They had not had time to talk about what had happened during Tarble's imprisonment. "What did your father do to you?"

Tarble looked a little embarrassed. "He locked me up and tried to turn me against Vegeta."

"But you did escape." He pointed out. "End the end you saw the truth between all of your father's lies."

The boy gave him a half smile. "Yes, but he almost had me convinced. I did so many things that I'm not really proud of."

"Like what?" He leaned back in his own chair. He felt better now that the conversation had changed.

Tarble looked down at the table. "I doubted Vegeta." He took one page of the book he was staring down at and began to rub the corner nervously. "I killed someone just because they looked at me funny. My father looked really proud of me too."

"Did you use the Nightwalker power then?" He asked.

Tarble looked up at him and nodded. "Yes, that brings my total to 3. Once before this war started, the Tech-Tech I killed, and Cuw."

"I don't like it." He stated.

Tarble gave him a funny look. "Why? It gave me that power to get rid of Cuw. I may still be stuck in that hellhole without it."

"The power is fine and good, but it comes at a price." Tarble looked at him questioningly. He didn't know about Parle. "I used it against Parle. That's how she died. It drained me and I was so weak afterwards."

Tarble's eyes went wide. "You never said anything about that."

He chuckled. "I really didn't have time. I had to give you the passcode and when you got back, I spent two weeks keeping you alive."

"Thanks for that. I never expected you to do that for two weeks straight. When did you sleep?" Tarble asked.

"I didn't." He stated. Tarble looked shocked, like he had a million questions brewing in the back on his head. "Before you ask, yes it was justified. You're my best friend. Of course I would do everything in my power to keep you alive, or die trying." The boy looked lost for words. "Hell, I went a little insane after I found out what Parle did to you. I was so mad that I basically ripped the evidence from her mind. It was crazy."

"You did what?" He could see a light bulb going off in Tarble's head.

"I touched her forehead. I think I made her brain explode. I could see every one of her traitorous memories and they seemed to feed my anger and the power that I was wheedling." Tarble was smirking darkly at him. "What?"

Tarble began to laugh, confusing him. "Don't you see Raditz, the answer to this whole thing with Zera has been in front of you all along. You have the power to separate them. All you need to do is learn to control it."

He felt his body lock up. Did his Nightwalker power have the ability to save Onna from Zera? "How would I even learn to control it, when I can't even remember how I unlocked it."

"You said that you were angry. Every time that I used it, I was angry as well." Tarble said thinking it over.

"I can't just be anger. If it was, we would have used it earlier. There has to be something combined with anger to start it up." He felt himself starting to get excited.

Tarble leaned forward in his chair. "Well think, what else did you feel when you killed Parle?"

"I don't know. All I remember is my rage. What about you?" He said, pulling out a piece of paper.

Tarble started to think it over. "That's the hard part. I mean, I was so focused on what I was doing, I wasn't thinking about it."

He began to write down some notes. "Okay, maybe it is unconscious. Like we can't do it, if we do it on command."

Tarble shook his head. "I was able to do it on command when I killed Cuw. So I think we can mark that off as a possibility."

He continued jotting down notes. They had to figure this out. He had to figure this out. If it gave him a shot to save the girl he loved, he would try anything.

* * *

It was late and Tarble still hadn't come back. He had sent the boy after Raditz hours ago and now it was almost 2 in the morning. They must have stumbled across something.

He growled in the back of his throat. He would have to go and get him. They had a lot to go over tomorrow and he need his brother to be sharp.

Making his way down the hall way, he wondered what could warrant the two of them being out so late. He knew that the two of them could sometimes overdo it when they were working, but this was ridiculous. He had told Tarble to get Raditz to go home, not to start working with him.

As he reached the door, he could hear the two of them talking.

"We need to look at this again. Starting from the beginning." He heard Raditz say. "You killing Cuw may be the best way that we can figure out how this works."

"Only because you were there too, in a way." Tarble interjected.

"No, because you were able to do it on command. It's the only one where one of us used the power at will." The older boy said.

"All I remember is that he started talking about Parle and how he had betrayed me, all so that he could get an elite seat at my father's side. Then you injected yourself into our conversation."

"Yes, I remember that. I told him that I killed Parle. He became a mess and then you killed him." Raditz said sounding tired, from what he could tell they had run through this scenario more than a few times.

Tarble laughed, "Seeing him scream like a bitch was quite humorous though."

He smirked out in the hall. His brother was coming along nicely. He had come such a long way from the sweet little boy that did what he was told and was hidden off from the world.

He heard something hit the floor. "Raditz?" Tarble questioned.

"That's it." Raditz sound wary.

"What's it?" Tarble asked. "Do you think you know how to turn on the Nightwalker power?"

"It has nothing to do with anger at all. Tell me Tarble, what were you feeling when you were killing that Tech-Tech in the dining room of the palace?" Raditz asked.

"Well, I was pissed." Tarble sound a little annoyed at the older Saiyan for not telling him the truth. He would be too if Raditz was pulling this shit with him.

"Yes, you were pissed, but were you enjoying yourself?" He froze outside of the door. Was Raditz really implying that unlike the Super Saiyan power he and Kakarot has acquired, the Nightwalker power was obtained by having fun.

Tarble seemed to go quiet. "What if I did?"

"Hear me out here. It's not just enjoying yourself. It's enjoying yourself doing horrible things. Remember how you killed the Tech-Tech. You did it in a way where you would enjoy doing it." Raditz said.

"That would explain why I couldn't use it when I ran to my father. I wasn't sure what he was going to do."

"Exactly, but with the Tech-Tech, Cuw, and Parle, we knew that to expect. We wanted them to feel pain and our minds let us." Raditz said, confidently.

"So how do we go about practicing it. It's not like there is anyone up for torture around here?" Tarble said, kind of annoyed.

"No, and from what I remember, it is rather draining. And that red fog makes it hard to see." The older boy stated.

"If you go too long, it becomes black. There is this weird darkness that started to coat everything in your vision." His brother said.

"Mine actually gave me a headache afterward. I was witnessing her memories and I think I was putting myself through some of the pain that I was causing her."

"There may be a slight recoil. Both of our powers are different, but the same. You need to be close to your victim, so you can access their mind. I can be anywhere." Tarble said.

This was interesting. If they were able to use this, it could very useful to them. Not only in this endeavor, but against their father, the King as well, and maybe even into the future.

He smirked to himself, it was time he revealed himself. He knocked on the door, before walking in.

"Vegeta, how long have you been standing there?" Tarble asked, looking at him in surprise.

"Not long. I was just wondering what was taking you so long. We have to go over battle plans tomorrow and we need our sleep." He turned to Raditz. "How has the senzu project been going?" He couldn't let Raditz forget the task at hand. While he would welcome the use of this new power, he didn't want them going into battle without some kind of way to heal their warriors. The senzu would be helpful in allowing them to boost their power.

"It's all taken care of. I have already come up with three ways to use them." He really wasn't surprised.

"Good. Now about this Nightwalker power. I think I may have a solution."

He smirked as the two of them gave him questioning looks. His amusement would she short lived, when he told them of his plan.

To Be Continued….

So we now know what powers the Nightwalker power, but what are Vegeta's plans for Tarble and Raditz to practice it?


	50. Chapter 50

He had no idea what his brother had in mind. There was no way that he and Raditz could train to use that Nightwalker power. It wasn't like Super Saiyan. If Raditz was correct and the power was brought on by being sadistic, there was no way to test it. The only person that he would enjoy torturing at the moment would be his father and Vegeta would want a piece of him for himself.

He watched as his brother looked over some of the battle could usually figure out what Vegeta was thinking, but today he was at a loss. His brother was good at coming up with plans, but he doubted that he could come up with a solution for this.

"Tarble, pay attention!" His brother chastised him.

He practically jumped when his name was called, his brother gave him an annoyed expression. He wondered how much of the conversation that he had missed. What was the last thing that Vegeta had said? "Sorry, Vegeta. I had something on my mind."

"What could me more important than the upcoming raid?" His brother sounded like he was ticked off.

"Nothing. It was just something you said last night. Please go over it again." He spoke real fast, not wanting to really talk about this right now.

Vegeta sighed. "You know, you could show more enthusiasm."

"And you know that I find this kind of thing rather tedious. This is why you're the fighter and I'm the brainiac." He stated, leaning back in his seat.

His brother glared at him. "This will affect you. If something happens to me.."

He laughed. "Vegeta, you're a Super Saiyan. I doubt that our father will be able to combat against that."

To his shock, Vegeta didn't give him one of his cocky smirks. "We have no way of knowing that. He could have something up his sleeve and I would rather have a plan than just running in there blind. I would think that you would know that."

"Again, father is nothing compared to you. It doesn't matter what help he could get. All of his communications are shot. He can't call for help. He's a sitting duck." He argued.

"If you don't want to take this seriously, you can go work on something else. I can work on this and you can go help Raditz, the senzu project looks good, so maybe you can help him with some of the preparations." His brother's patience has worn thin, and he jumped up from his seat.

He walked out of the room without a word and headed off towards the office that Raditz was using.

When he got there, he could see that Raditz's nose was once again stuck in those books again. Hadn't they figured out everything last night? Why was he researching all of this again?

He looked off to the side and found that there was a stack of reports on the table. The older by had already figured out all of the prep work and now that he was here, he didn't really want to hear his friend talk about Onna again. He was kind of tired of the subject.

He moved out of the doorway before Raditz could see him and began to walk away. There had to be something to do that wasn't going to irritate him.

He looked down as he walked, not seeing when he ran into someone. He didn't apologize, but was surprised when he found Gure on the floor. She was rubbing her head. She hadn't been in her normal looking form in a while, mainly walking around in that weird mini form that most Tech-Techs used in public.

She moved away from him, blushing. She must have finally realized that he couldn't give her what she wanted. "I'm sorry, I'll watch where I'm going."

He wondered something to himself. "Do you care about your people at all?"

She looked at him quite confused. "Why do you want to know?"

He sighed. "They are at the palace now. They are slaves to my father."

She looked slightly cross. "So that was his game. He sold them."

"Do you wish to save them?" He wondered aloud.

She looked conflicted. "They don't know I exist. How could I possibly help them?"

He found himself giving her a small smile as he huffed. "After this is done, they will need a leader."

She looked down, playing with the fabric of her skirt. "They would never accept me. I'm a girl. My job is to set there and look pretty."

He blinked a couple of times, it was hard for him to understand such a concept. "They will have to learn to get past that. You are their princess, their queen."

She looked back up at him. "They would never accept me. I would have to have a husband for them to do that."

"You only think that way, because they have told you that you have to think that way. You need to forget what you have been taught." He said crossing his arms.

"But it is tradition." She stated.

"Sometimes traditions need to die." He said, not masking his growl.

He chose to walk away, knowing that if he stuck around he would just get angrier than he already was. He really didn't want to be around anyone at the moment. He really just wanted some quiet.

But she wasn't going to let him do that. Instead grabbing onto his arm. As he turned around to yell at her, he froze. She was crying. "Can you not do that?"

Her eyes narrowed. "I thought that you of all people would understand."

"I do understand." He snarled. "I'm just not curling up and quiting like you are."

She shook her head. "No, you're looking down on me. Just like they did. You're no different than they are."

He couldn't believe her. "You're just letting your fears get the better of you. If you give in to those fears, they will lock you back up. Stand up for yourself!"

"With what? Look at me." Her face looked down at the ground again.

He growled. "I am looking at you." Her eyes looked up at his. "Who was the one that helped me plan out the city invasion? Who was the one that reminded me to think like myself and not like Vegeta, huh?"

Apparently he had rendered her speechless, all she could do was sputter at him.

"You're stronger than you think." As he said it, his head started to hurt. It was almost like something was breaking down in the back of his mind.

"But how can I?" She started.

"You can see what others need, they will see it with time." He said.

For the first time in a long time, she smiled at him. He felt his breathing quicken. Not only that but his face felt warmer than usual. Why? "You really think that they will want me to be their queen?"

At that moment, something broke in the back of his mind. An intoxicating aroma entered his nose, when had Gure started smelling this good? He could barely think straight as the fruity smell began to drive him crazy. "They have no choice. You are their queen. You're better than them, remember that."

He watched as she blushed and he truly felt as if he was going senseless. What the hell was this? He needed some fresh air or something. Maybe then he could get the smell out of his nose and be able to clear his head.

He turned away from her, even though his mind was crying out like it was the last thing he wanted to do. "We should go outside. It's been a while since either of us have seen the sun or the moon." That wasn't what he wanted to say at all. It felt as if there was something or someone else in control of his mind. It was only supposed to be him leaving, but for some reason, he was compelled to drag her along.

He expected her to move away from him, but then again, she did have a crush on him, so he found that she would do whatever he said. Much to delight of the side that wanted her smell.

No one questioned him as he led her out into the open, they must have thought that they were looking over something for his brother. Not that what he was doing was any of their business.

The sun was still in the sky, but it was headed downward. He felt himself smirk. They would be alone. No one would dare to come out here then. It would be too dangerous.

"Tarble?" He could hear how nervous she was. She must have sensed that something was up.

He felt himself begin to chuckle. He thought that maybe her scent would have diluted in the open air, but he was wrong. If anything, he could smell it even better than before. He felt a sharp pain in his jaw. The smell was egging him on almost.

She had no time to react, as he pushed her against one of the rock walls. She looked at him both confused at his actions and with fear. He could tell that she wanted to scream, so he silenced her the only way his now primal mind wanted to.

As he kissed her, he felt her body tense. He could smell her fear, the primal side of him was angry. It wanted her to calm down. It wanted control.

He pulled away harshly. Sniffing at her, letting that sweet aroma fill his every being. "Your mine." He whispered, pulling his fingers through her long white hair.

She blushed. "I thought that you didn't want me that way?"

He felt himself lick his lips. He could taste her smell on him from the kiss and it was like he was being drugged. "What made you think that?" A small part of his brain was trying to yell at him, as he did say those words, but it was pushed aside, stomped away by the feelings he was now experiencing.

"You were pushing me away." She looked like she was trying to be firm with him, but he wasn't going to allow that.

He pulled her against him. "That's not true. Look at how close we are now, my queen."

She seemed to completely go limp, relaxing in his arms. He grinned. He was in control. All he had to do was take what was his.

* * *

He left the office a little mad with himself. He was still trying to figure out how he could teach himself how to turn off the Nightwalker power enough so that he wouldn't kill Onna in the process. But he had to get this information off to Vegeta.

When he reached the room, he was shocked to find Vegeta alone. Where was Tarble? He knocked getting the older prince's attention.

He watched as Vegeta looked up at him confused. "Where is Tarble?"

"I thought he was with you." He stated, wondering where his friend had gone.

"I sent him to work with you because he wasn't paying any attention to our plans." Vegeta sounded a little unnerved. "If he wanted to fool around, he could have told me."

He made to speak, when one of the grunts came over to the door. "I'm sorry to interrupt Prince Vegeta, but do you have any business outside of the bunker?"

He turned back to the older Prince and found that he not only looked confused, but wary of what the soldier was going to tell him. "No. We need nothing out there. Why?"

The grunt looked really pale now. "Welll, ummm….your brother just went out there."

"What!" Vegeta said, dropping everything he had and running out the room.

He made to follow, catching up with the younger Saiyan. "What could he possibly want out there?"

"I don't know, but it's not night fall yet. If my father's scouts see him, we will all be in trouble." Vegeta scowled.

That hatched opened for the two of them and he was startled as something flew at him.

He swung back, just in time. It looked like Vegeta's fears were justified, but why would Tarble go and out them to the enemy? Especially after how he was treated by his father.

The older prince powered up to his Super Saiyan form. He had never seen it before, but he guessed what that it was. It matched the descriptions that he had heard from all of the stories from his childhood.

"Stand down coward or face my wrath." The older prince called out.

A dark cackle made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Some of the rock crumbled at little, and there he saw what he couldn't believe.

Tarble was standing there, looking quite deranged. It looked like the boy was consumed in darkness. Off to the side was Gure, who looked frightened but at the same time comfortable. He couldn't understand why she could be so calm.

His eyes found their way back to the older Prince, only to find Vegeta torn. "Tarble…. I… I thought that you were with me."

His eyes trailed back to his best friend, something about this was off. Tarble would never betray Vegeta. He pondered what it was, as the younger Prince circled Gure, placing her on the other side of him. Out the way of any attacks that could be thrown.

It was then that a light bulb went off in his head, but it was too early for Tarble to be going through that. He's mind drifted back to the conversation that he had had with his mother and everything clicked into place.

Just as he was about to say something, the younger Prince's eyes glowed and a boulder was launched their way. Vegeta barely reacted, blasting it to pieces only seconds before impact.

"Tarble, we can talk this out." Vegeta seemed lost for words. He must have not seen the signs. The older boy was only thinking that his brother had betrayed him. "Remember what father did to you! You can't go back to him!"

He had to figure out a way to get Gure away from Tarble. If he was correct, then he could free his friend from the scent that was driving him insane.

"Why would I want to go with you?" Tarble snarled. "You just want it for yourself." A wild hiss escaped the younger prince's lips.

He could see it. The older prince was at a loss. Vegeta was shaking. He almost froze up at Vegeta started to move his arm up. He looked like so pained. Like he was contemplating doing something that he knew would not only kill Tarble, but destroy himself.

He ran over quickly, grabbing the other's arm before he could start gathering energy.

"What are you doing?" Vegeta glared at him. He could see the pain and sadness in the other's eyes, almost begging for him to give him a reason not to do what he dreaded doing.

"I'm stopping you from doing something stupid. I think I know what this is all about." He said.

The older prince's eyes filled with sadness, but there was a sliver of hope. "You think you know why my brother has betrayed me."

"He hasn't betrayed you." He could see that Vegeta wasn't convinced. "Don't watch him, watch his movements. What is he doing?"

"He's trying to attack me." Vegeta said.

"No, he's trying to keep us away from Gure." He stated.

The boy powered down and blinked at him a couple of times before, looking back at the scene before them. "He's…he's hit puberty?"

"My mom said that it happens about 3 years after your first kill. Tarble helped me kill Zera, 3 years ago. The time matches up." He stated.

He could see the relief flash over the older Prince's face. "So we need to get her away from him."

"We need to check to see if he has marked her. From how he is acting, I don't think he has." He looked back over to his friend. "And I don't think getting her away from him is going to be easy. He's using his Nightwalker power and the sun his setting."

The older Prince sighed. "I didn't want to do this, but…" He watched in horror as the Prince pulled at his tail, letting out a loud snarl as he ripped it off and threw it to the ground. "Now, let's get them separated."

To Be Continued….

 _Author's Note_

 _I'm so mean for leaving it off here. At least you guys don't have to wait until next week to read the next chapter, just 24 hours._

 _I still can't believe that I got to chapter 50! It feels like I just started this story yesterday._


	51. Chapter 51

He chuckled as he watched them from a distance. Did they really think that they could take her from him? What kind of nerve did they have?

"Tarble?! Why are you attacking Vegeta and Raditz?!" She sounded panicked and he snarled.

"I know what they are trying to do. And they aren't going to pull the wool over my eyes." He stated.

She looked at him as if he was insane. "But I don't get it. What are they trying to do?"

He laughed. "They are trying to take you away from me." He walked around her, taking a big whiff of her scent. The longer this went on, the better she smelled. If those outsiders hadn't shown up, he would have already made her his. He would need to end this quickly. His jaw felt like it was about to fall off, as he turned back to his target.

A dark smirk covered his face. They had some nerve if they thought that they could take her from him.

* * *

He looked down at the blood already on hands. Coming up with a way to separate them would not be easy. The way Tarble was weaving around Gure would make this a whole lot harder.

Part of him did see this coming, even after Tarble had said that he had no interest in the Tech-Tech. They spent a lot of time around each other. If only he had known what Raditz had told him sooner. Maybe then he would have been looking for the signs. But he did have a lot on his mind. A lot that would have to wait. He was not going to allow Tarble to take a mate when he was only 9 years old. He would have to wait till he was 16 to mate with her properly. Now was not the right time.

Looking at Tarble, he was kind of surprised with how much power the Nightwalker power had. Just like with the power of a Super Saiyan, you could see the power coming off of Tarble. Only instead of the bright yellow, it was a cloud of black and darkness.

He powered up again, finding that it was harder now without his tail, but he was still able to do it.

A smirk crossed his face. He had always wondered what it would be like to spar with his brother. Now that he knew that Tarble didn't really hate him, he could enjoy himself a little bit.

"Raditz, I'm going to need you to go and call for back up. Just in case this gets a little out of control." He said, continuing to grin.

Across the way, Tarble looked just as eager to throw down. He made to move his tail around his waist, but then remembered that it was gone. He wouldn't have to worry about that weakness.

He dove forward before Raditz could reply, watching his brother's every move.

Tarble moved his hand up, the darkness grabbing one of the boulders that surrounded the ground and tossed it his way, this time instead of blasting it. He sent his fist through it, shattering it into a million pieces.

He expected another boulder, but his brother had a different idea. The aura that was coating his body began to crawl quickly across the ground. He watched it patiently. Knowing that there had to be some reason behind it.

Suddenly the darkness, shot up grazing his arm. Looking back down, he realized that that was only one shot and moved just in time as a barrage of what looked like dark bullets, shot from the ground.

Just as he thought that he was free of the darkness, he noticed that out of the corner of his eye, Tarble moved his arm up and with that the bullets moved, as if tracking his form. He only had enough time to move behind a boulder, almost shaking at the sound of the impact that the bullets made against the rock.

He didn't have much time to move, as Tarble forced the boulder to crash into him, knocking the breath out of him. He was lucky that it wasn't as big as it was originally. The dark bullets took care of that.

He heard the dark aura as it moved quickly across the ground, flying up just in time as it made to consume him.

He couldn't help but give his brother a smirk. He never knew that the younger could be this good in battle.

But he had no time to consider how this would benefit them. As his brother sent a blast of darkness his way. He held up his hands, forming a blast of his own.

The two different kinds of energy met and exploded on impact, forcing him to get out of the way.

He wasn't paying attention to where he was going, as he moved away from the flying debris. The only thing he focused on was not getting hit.

He felt a sharp pull at his side and in seconds he was slammed into the ground. When he looked up, he could see his brother over him. "I told you that you can't have her." Tarble growled, his eyes glowing a distinct blood red.

He could tell that his brother was readying some kind of attack, when suddenly something crashed onto the ground around them.

He covered his nose, whose idea was it to throw something that rancid out here.

To his side, he heard his brother coughing and letting out a loud whimper as the smell entered his nose. It made him think of that plant that Bulma has shoved in his face when he was getting a little too handsy.

He watched as Tarble powered down. Covering his nose, as tears came from his eyes, the red color fading back to black. "What the hell?!"

He covered his own nose. "Good to have you back." He looked over to Gure, who was covering her face. "Go inside, you'll need to keep your distance from Tarble for a while."

She looked confused, but listened to what he said. Leaving without a word.

Tarble on the other hand, looked rather shocked at where he was. "Vegeta, why are we outside?"

He couldn't help it, he started to laugh. "You remember nothing. Damn, you must have been feeling really good then."

Tarble cocked his head to the side, an innocent look on his face. "I don't understand."

A slight rustle came to his side. Raditz sighed. "Sorry about that, but I figured that we would want to keep our base of operations hidden."

He wondered how the older could be fine walking around with that dastardly smell wafting through the air. "What the fuck was that?!" He said pointing at the bottle.

The older boy laughed. "Trust me, you don't want to know." Raditz offered him his hand and pulled him up, before walking over to Tarble. "So from now on, you will have no contact with Gure, whatsoever."

Tarble looked at him as if he had two heads. "What? Why?"

Raditz laughed. "I remember when I first woke up from trying to mark Onna, I was also a little disoriented."

"Mark?" He watched as his brother regained his memories of what had just transpired. Tarble looked between him and the broken battlefield that they were using. "I…I….Vegeta, I'm sorry!" His brother sounded panicked.

"You meant no harm. Everyone goes through that when they start puberty." He started.

"But your tail!" Tarble said pointing at his lack of one.

"I removed it before we started fighting. I had my reasons." He said looking up at the now dark sky. The stars and moon had come out to greet him. It was the first time he had seen the moon without transforming. It was quite a sight, really.

Raditz gave him one last smirk before, making to leave. "I would advise the two of you to come in after I have made sure that Gure has been moved to a safe place. We can't have Tarble going off his rocker again."

His brother blushed as he nodded the older Saiyan off. Leaving the two of them alone.

"Vegeta, I…." He silenced him.

"Instinct is almost impossible to ignore. Trust me, there isn't a Saiyan male that hasn't acted like a fool when it comes to that." He teased.

Tarble stayed a shade of bright shade of red. "Even you?"

"Even me, just ask Bulma. Once that smell got into my nose, it was like my mind melted away." He smirked to himself as he thought over the memory.

That seemed to help Tarble calm down a bit. "I didn't do anything too crazy, did I?"

He couldn't help it. "If you don't call giving me a good spar crazy, then I don't know what is."

Tarble blinked at him a couple of times, his brother probably thought that he was joking. "We didn't?"

"We did. Really, I think you should spar more often. That power of yours is a good match for my Super Saiyan." He said, watching his brother's reaction.

"That can't be. I don't even remember using it." His brother was definitely embarrassed.

"Just ask Raditz or…well you can't ask Gure, but trust me. You used it and if you want to know the truth, we should do that again. It was kind of fun." He admitted.

Tarble finally felt comfortable enough to come near him again. "So you're not mad at me?"

He sighed. "I can't be mad at you for doing what comes naturally. You did scare me though. At first, I thought that you had turned against me and that you were going back to our father."

"Why would I ever do that? Our father is a bastard." The way Tarble said it made him feel even more foolish for jumping to that conclusion.

He looked back up at the moon. "I…when it comes to you, I'm weak." With that, he thought it better to just sit down, they were going to be here for a while anyway.

Tarble followed suit. "What do you mean?"

He sighed. "I must look like I have no weakness to the outside world. I try and portray myself in a way that makes me look like nothing can touch me. But that isn't the case. I'm just as a breakable as anyone else." Tarble said nothing, just listening to what he had to say. "And the thing that breaks me is you. I'm attached to you. During my time one Earth, I spent a lot of it thinking about how you were doing, I wasn't thinking about the planet. I was wondering what was going on with you. I let myself open up, but in doing so I soon realized my greatest fear."

"I don't understand. How could you fear me? How could I make you weak?" Tarble asked.

"I don't fear you. I fear the idea of losing you." He admitted.

"Wait, is that why you started crying when I was in the med-wing?" His brother asked.

He kept his eyes on the moon. "I spent so much time worrying over the idea of you siding with our father. I was under the impression that you were still following my plan and maybe the power that he would be offering you, would turn you against me." He looked down at his bloody hands. "Then Raditz called me, and my fears blew into overdrive. I knew you were with him and I knew that he would want to turn us against each other." He drew his hands into fists. "I knew that he would use that room. That he was going to torture you. I believed that he wouldn't kill you, mainly because he needed you to try and destroy me. Father knows my weakness."

He must have left his brother speechless because he wasn't saying anything.

"When I came back and found that you had come back on your own, I was relieved. Relieved that you had not turned on me. That my fears of such a thing were unjustified. I found myself proud that you still held me so high, even after I left you here." He felt a slight bit of pain as his fingernails torn into his hands. "But that was at a cost. You were nearly killed because of my actions. I didn't just leave you here. I left you with here like a chop of meat surrounded by a bunch of starving, ravenous dogs."

His face flew off to the side as he felt a surge of pain on his left cheek. He looked over and saw Tarble staring at him with mixed emotions, his hand still reached out from the slap he was just given. "Please stop."

"Stop?"

Tarble sighed. "Stop beating yourself up. You know that we had no other choice."

He finally looked up from his hands. "But I did have a choice. I could have stayed here and none of those things would have happened."

"You can't know that." Tarble said looking up at the sky himself. "You were weak from the attack on your life and we needed the Super Saiyan form." Tarble made to laugh. "And if you hadn't gone, you would have never met Bulma."

Finally, he felt himself smile. "She is something." He snickered. "Speaking of girls, I thought that you didn't want Gure."

Tarble froze up. "I don't. She just smelled good."

He laughed. "You may not think that you do, but there has to be something. Especially with how protective you were."

His brother blushed. "Will she always smell that way?"

"It should die down as you get older. Eventually, it fades away after you fully mate, but at that time you should realize what you really want." He said, watching as his brother shook his head.

"But there is nothing I can get from her." Tarble started.

"Who says that you have to get anything? A mate is not a tool. They are basically a life partner. Someone that you can trust with your life and who will help you build a future." He stated.

Tarble didn't look convinced. "How can I build a future with her? I would need offspring for that."

"I'm thinking that that won't be a problem. Her smell attracted you. Maybe it is possible. Her other form doesn't look that different than ours. We could always check to see if it if viable." He said, trying to calm his brother's nerves.

"You really think that it is possible." His brother now sounded hopeful.

He laughed. "Yeah, you wouldn't have just done what you did if you didn't have at least a chance of that." He smirked a little as he stared up at the sky. "Has it always looked like that?"

"Looked like what?" Tarble asked.

He pointed up at the sky. "The moon."

"Oh…I forgot that you've never seen it before." Tarble smirked. "It's really something." His brother said looking up at it.

"Maybe I should just make sure that my tail doesn't grow back." He joked.

Tarble froze. "That's it."

"What?"

His brother smirked. "We can attack at night. The elites won't see it coming. If we can convince everyone to remove their tails, we can plan a sneak attack."

"Won't they become Ozzaru? They won't care about the destruction of the city anymore." He stated.

"They will be too weak to transform. They have been without food for far too long." Tarble said confidently.

He couldn't believe it this was their chance. Now all he had to do was try and convince the entire rebellion to cut off their tails. Something that was easier said than done.

To Be Continued…

 _Author's Note_

 _Just so everyone knows, the spinoff of this series, that has an alternate timeline is up. Both the Middle Child and Long Live the King will be following Raditz and Tarble if they were taken at by different people and ended up becoming monsters under them. Raditz is still with Zera and Tarble will be set up with King Cold. Both stories will have parts posted to my devianart account, as they will be far darker than the prequel to this series is._


	52. Chapter 52

His brother paced back and forth. They were about to face the entire rebellion with their plan and he could sense his brother's nervousness. What they were going to suggest was taboo amongst their kind. Tails were considered sacred in a way. What they were about to suggest would most likely cause an uproar.

"What do you think they will say about it, brother." He asked, already knowing the answer.

"I guarantee that there will be a lot of pissing and moaning about it. Some may agree with it, but I can see the majority complaining or even resisting the idea all together." His brother sighed, as he continued to pace.

He rarely got to see his brother be a nervous wreck, but he was seeing a lot of new things about Vegeta almost every day. "They will have to come to terms with it though. It will grow back, so I really don't see the problem."

"The problem is that most of the lower classes have been taught that the only strength that they have is with that form." His brother stopped his pacing. "It's time that we stopped that train of thought. It is nothing more than a myth."

He nodded. "How do you want to break it to them? Do we go ahead and tell them the plan and then tell them about the tail removal or do we start with that?"

"We should tell them the plan first. It may be easier to convince them to remove their tails." Vegeta stated.

"Well seeing you without your tail will put them at ease with the idea." He said.

His brother gave him one of his wild smirks. "Who said that I was going to be the only one without a tail? You're getting yours removed before we go out there."

He immediately grabbed for his tail, trying to keep it out of his brother's grasp. "Why do I have to remove mine? I can't transform anyway." He began to argue.

"Because we need to look like we stand together on this and if you keep your tail, it will only spell disaster for us. They need us to look united, if we don't then they will riot against us." His brother pointed out.

While he still didn't like it, Vegeta was right. "Fine." He said slowly relinquishing his tail over to his brother. "At least give me a warning before you…OWW!" He felt the skin and bone, rip and detach, leaving a bloody cord in his brother's hands. "You could have given me a warning, you know!" His nerves were still sending jolts of pain up his spine as glared at his brother.

Vegeta chuckled. "You would have tried to put it off if I didn't do it like that."

He grumbled under his breath, there was no reason to argue. The subject was said and done and they had more important things to talk about anyway. He bit the side of his cheek as he spoke, trying to distract himself from the searing pain going up his spine. "So what time do you think will be the best for the attack?"

"We will strike after dusk." Vegeta said confidently.

He shook his head. "I think we should wait a little before going in."

"We will need as much time on our side as possible. If we go in at dusk, we will have plenty of time." His brother countered.

"I was thinking about catching them off guard. At dusk they will be waiting for an attack. I can see some staying at their posts until then. If we give it a couple of hours, we may see a large number of them at their homes, getting ready for sleep." He stated.

His brother eyed him. "Who are you and what have you done with my brother?"

"What do you mean?" He said crossing his arms and glaring at his brother, he wouldn't be forgiving Vegeta any time soon of the removal of his tail.

Vegeta laughed. "I mean, when did you get to be so analytical about the battlefield?"

He stared at his brother for a couple of seconds pondering his question. The truth was that he still didn't like doing this work. How had he come up with such a plan of attack? His mind drifted to that day back at the beginning of this, Gure had told him to think like himself in order to come up with a plan. She always seemed to be encouraging him to step forward. It didn't take long for his mind to drift to other things entirely.

His brother snickered. "I can see that your mind as gone elsewhere." He shook his head to try and pull himself from those thoughts, seriously was it never going to go away? "You can think about that in your free time." His brother was never going to let him live this down was he?

* * *

Kakarot had come to watch him in as he worked. Both he and his brother had no idea what the Princes were planning with their upcoming speech. He just hoped that they would get it over with so he could focus on all of this again. If he got caught up in something, he would not want to leave his post.

Kakarot seemed a little on the bored side. Bulma and Chichi were spending all of their time with their mother and their father was out talking with most of the troops. Kakarot being Vegeta's right hand man, didn't have a post at the moment, so here he was bored out of his mind and groaning every couple of seconds.

"You know, if you want to go and do something, I'm not going to stop you." He said, finally getting fed up with all of the noises.

"What am I supposed to do? It's not like I can go out and train." His brother snapped back at him.

He rolled his eyes. "We have a training facility down the hall."

"It's not the same. I got used to training outside." His brother huffed.

"So you're going to come in here and bother me instead?" His brother nodded at him and he gave him a glare. "If you're going to be in here, at least try and help me out."

Kakarot looked slightly panicked. "I'll probably break something."

He rolled his eyes. "You'll be fine. Just sift through those books for me. All I need in for them to be categorized by volume. You can handle that."

He heard one final groan as his brother began moving the books around. "Why do you like these things so much?"

He felt himself laugh. "Why does anyone like anything?" He could see the boy trying to think over what he had said and continued to laugh. The look of concentration on his brother's face was just too much. "You're over thinking it."

"But I thought that to be smart you need to over think everything." Kakarot said pouting.

"No one said that you needed to be a genius, Kakarot." He said, wondering why his brother brought it up.

Kakarot looked down at the table. "I know, but I hate feeling so lost when you and Tarble talk about things."

He heard the faint hint of jealously in his brother's voice. So this was Kakarot's problem. "You don't have to follow what we are saying, Vegeta sure doesn't."

That didn't seem to help. "But Vegeta and Tarble talk all of the time. We barely speak, unless we have to. All we talk about is work and what happened to you."

"That's not true." He said trying to think of a time that he and Kakarot had a full conversation about something other than work or his past, but he couldn't think of any.

"Most of the time, we just change the subject or go quiet." Kakarot said, looking down at his hands.

He sighed. "Do you have something big on your mind that you want to talk about?"

His brother looked at him with a straight face. "Where to babies come from?"

He fell to the floor. He wasn't expecting that. He pulled himself up quickly. "Why do you want to know that?!"

"Well everyone keeps going into this puberty thing and mom said something about grandkids to me and I was wondering how that works?" Kakarot said innocently.

"You really want to know that? Why don't you ask mom or dad about it?" He cringed.

His brother looked at him sadly. "See you're dodging the conversation again."

He groaned. "Fine, but you're going to regret asking me."

Kakarot only cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?"

He sighed. "It's a good thing that you are sitting down for this. We might as well start with puberty."

"What is that puberty thing?" Kakarot asked curiously.

"When you reach a certain age or in our race's case about 3 years after your first kill, you'll start to notice smells a lot more." He really didn't know how to put this without it being awkward.

"You mean like food?" His brother jumped up excitedly.

He face palmed. "No Kakarot, not food. People."

The boy cocked his head to the side again. "Why would I want to eat people?"

He banged his head down on the table. "There is no eating involved!"

"Well why would you want to smell something and not want to eat it…unless you are on the battlefield…Oh do I get to fight someone?"

He swore. "Are you going to let me explain this to you or are you going to keep rambling on?"

"Sorry, continue." Kakarot said, still looking curious about the subject.

"Anyway, you are going to start noticing the smell of a certain female. Once you do that, you will start to give into your primal need to mark her." His brother looked confused. "You'll want to bite her somewhere. Trust me, your jaw starts hurting and it's all you can think about."

"Why?" Kakarot asked.

"Well, it's your instincts picking your future mate. Basically, your life partner." He stated.

"So like mom and dad?" Kakarot questioned.

Finally, he was grasping something. "Yes, mom and dad are mated. Vegeta and that Bulma girl are to be mated, which means that they are going to mate someday."

"Oh…but how does that relate to where babies come from?"

From here he didn't know how to explain it, but Kakarot was hanging on his every word and if experience taught him anything, their parents would forget to go over the subject until Kakarot was going Super Saiyan as he went after some poor girl.

He took a deep breath this would be a doozy. "Well, you know that boys and girls look different."

"Yeah."

"Well, you know that you have a penis, girls don't have that." He started.

"What! Did someone cut it off?" Kakarot said sounding terrified as he covered his junk.

"No Kakarot, girls are born that way." He said annoyed.

"Why?" The boy asked horrified.

He groaned. "Because they don't need one."

"I don't understand. How can someone not need one?" Kakarot said pouting.

"They have different parts Kakarot, you don't think that they can push a baby out of the tip of a penis, do you?" He swore that his hand was going to be glued to his face.

His brother's eyes went wide as he covered his junk again, looking absolutely terrified.

"Kakarot, I said that it doesn't work that way. Girls have a different make up, made for that."

"But I don't understand, what does that have to do with my junk?" Kakarot asked, still horrified.

"Well, to make a baby, you kind of have put your penis inside her." It was better to simplify everything for him. "Girls have a hole that you put that in. After that, the guy has to ejaculate in there. If the girl is in heat, she can get pregnant."

"I don't understand?"

"Something will come out of your dick. That's how the girl will get pregnant." Raditz said annoyed.

"No offense Raditz, but that sounds gross." Kakarot said looking disgusted.

He laughed. "Well no one said that it was pretty."

"Are you sure that you want to do that with Onna?" His brother asked.

He blushed. "Well yeah."

His brother shook his head. "Whatever, I think I'll pass on that."

He laughed. "You don't really get a choice, Kakarot. You can't fight puberty."

"No, but I can stay away from girls so that I never mate." The boy said angrily.

"That's going to be impossible Kakarot." He stated.

"Watch me. I'll do it. Just you watch."

He sighed as a knock came to the door. "The Princes are opening up the meeting."

"Give us a second." The man nodded before leaving and he cursed. Why couldn't Vegeta and Tarble have announced their meeting before he had to explain all of that? Surely, somewhere someone was laughing at his misfortune.

To Be Continued…

 _Author's Note_

 _I wanted to do a little humor this chapter. I've done so much angst for a long time that I thought, why not give have Raditz give Kakarot the talk. We'll get more plot next chapter….even though I did enjoy torturing Raditz this time._


	53. Chapter 53

He could hear them as they all started to converge. Tarble was behind him, he could sense his brother's nervousness. Almost everyone was accounted for, they were just missing Raditz and Kakarot.

He had to wonder why those two would be late. They knew what they were trying to accomplish. Raditz even had his little mate to be's life riding on this. Even with the knowledge that Onna was being used by Zera, he would not allow the older boy to go until this war was over. That gave the boy less time that he could use to save her. At this point, he already saw it as a lost cause. Anything that had to do with Zera needed to be eliminated.

He watched as Raditz came in with Kakarot and he had to back pedal his thoughts. Raditz had come out of that and was fine. He had his moments, but he was very useful.

Looking at Kakarot, the boy looked panicked. They were late, but not by enough to make the younger look so terrified.

The two of them pushed through the crowd and he knew it was time to start.

"As you know, we have already weakened the supply route for the enemy. But now it is time to strike." The room erupted with cheers. Cheers that would be quieted in the next couple of minutes.

Behind him Tarble pushed a couple of buttons, bringing up a hologram of the city. His brother made sure to include the moon in this scenario. He heard some confused whispering below him.

"As you can see, we will need to strike only a couple of hours after dusk. This will allow us to catch my father's men off guard. Everyone will be off duty, some already asleep." The hologram zoomed out. "We will be split off into three separate teams. Team one will be in charge of attacks from the air. Their job will be to keep the enemy from getting air born. Team two will be the ground team. Team two will be making sure that we get through the city. You will have to clear the streets of any and all threats. And finally, team three will be going through the tunnels under the palace. This will be the most difficult task as that is where the strongest of my father's stronghold with be." The hologram changed again. "Those going into the tunnels will have to eliminate all of the guards on that are in the palace, along with getting me to our main target. Once I am close enough to my father, we can put an end to this." He looked around the room, some of them didn't looked too convinced.

"Your Majesty, how are we going to attack at night? If the moon is out, we will become apes." One of the men asked from the floor. He didn't like the look of this man, he was questioning his authority in front of everyone.

But he had other things to be doing then thinking about how annoying this man was.

He took a deep breath. This was it. Would they accept this or would they revolt. "To keep ourselves from changing, we must remove our tails. Without our tails, we will not change forms and can walk under the moon."

He watched as every single one of them looked at him in shock and fear. He was expecting this.

To his shock, Tarble walked in front of him. "It is the only way to catch them by surprise. I know everyone here has been taught that we gain our power through our tails, but that is not the case." His brother turned back around and pushed another couple of buttons in on the hologram, this time making it show an outline of a Saiyan. "Instead, power comes from the energy in our bodies, and our tails only weaken us, as our bodies sometimes shut down when they are grabbed." The hologram started flashing up different slides every couple of seconds. When and how did Tarble have enough time to come up with this? He seriously didn't type this out while he was stating the battle plan, did he? "Now two things fuel our power, depending on what kind of Saiyan you are. If you are one of the Saiyans like myself, your power is fueled by a sadistic level of pleasure, while if you are a fighter like my brother, you will need to feel a sadistic level of rage." Tarble stated.

He watched as some of the fear dissipated. Maybe they wouldn't have as much resistance as they thought they would.

"But how can we make it passed all of those elites? Even with anger on our surprise on our side, they can still transform. We would be sitting ducks." The same man from before said with a sneer.

He growled, hadn't he listened to the plan. Didn't they already answer that question.

Tarble laughed. "Don't you remember what was finished with our first attack?"

"You were taken captive." The man answered.

Tarble frowned. "No, I was referring to them having their supplies limited. The elites and upper class have to be running low on food. Without food they cannot create enough energy to fight and more importantly transform. They will be defenseless."

He was kind of stunned with how well his brother was doing. Maybe he had gotten used to public speaking while he was gone. He filed the information away for later. Who knew when he would need it again.

"Then why not attack at dusk? Why not during the day?" The man countered.

"I still don't see why we have to cut off our tails." Another voice commented.

He snarled making the room go quiet. "Our enemy will be expecting us to attack during the day. We must wait till night in order to catch them off guard. A tail means nothing at this point and they will grow back with time." He looked over at his brother, who gave him a small nod. "Do you want to stay in this bunker for the rest of your miserable lives? Waiting for your failure of a King to find you? To torture you and your families for staying on the side of justice? Or will you do something about it? Will you stand with me and help create a better future for our kind or go back to the class system that has separated us for thousands of years." The room had gone quiet, it was as if they were hanging on his every word. "It won't be easy, some lives will be lost. But in the end we will say that we preserved. That future generations will look back on us and remember what our sacrifice has given them." He jumped down, letting them part the aisle for him. He let his anger grow. They had no idea of the power he had gained. "Stand with me and power.." He transformed into a Super Saiyan, his golden hair lighting the path around him. "and glory will be ours."

He could see the awe in their eyes. He was a living legend; the power he had gained was getting through to them.

"Together, all of us can achieve more than we ever dreamed of." Tarble said and he watched as his brother also transformed. The black aura surrounded his body and he could she his red eyes flashing. "All we have to do is take it."

He smirked at his brother. He couldn't have said it better himself.

He annoying man from before wasn't having it though. "Well of course the two of you can transform. Your royalty. What will the rest of us do?"

As he was about to reprimand the man for his disobedience, another flash of gold erupted behind the present thorn in his side. The man moved to the side in shock. He couldn't help but chuckle as Kakarot glared up at the man.

"Being royal has nothing to do with it. Unlocking your rage on the other hand, can make all of the difference." His young charge said, making him proud.

"But I have been mad plenty of times and I have never become that." The man pointed, looking rather annoyed that a small child could become a Super Saiyan.

He was tired of this man's game. He could smell a traitor a mile away and this man reeked of it. "That's because you have nothing to live for. You are the kind of trash that believes the lies he was given from the past." He found himself walking up the man. Looking him over as he came forward. "I do have one question for you. How much is my father giving you?"

He smirked as pure panic spread across the man's face. "Nothing…my Prince…I.." He was sweating and stumbling over his words.

The room crowd around him began to jeer. Wild howls and roars filled the room, demanding the execution of the man.

"What have you told him?" He pressed. He had to know what his father knew. It could mean life or death for them.

The man was shaking his head, refusing to give them anything. He snarled, the electricity that was coming off of his body crackled.

The man started to laugh weakly as he was backed into a wall. "You'll get nothing out of me. I will not betray my King."

He growled. He needed to know what this man had done before they moved forward. If not, they would be walking into a trap.

The crowd was becoming murderous behind him. He was backed into a corner with what he had to do. Either kill this man and lose his information or keep him alive and deal with his enraged followers.

The crowd parted behind him and he saw Raditz out of the corner of his eye.

"Let me take care of this." He could see an almost sadistic looking smile on the other boys face and figured that the boy had to have a plan. He gave him a nod and the long haired boy walked forward.

He could already see that Raditz's eyes had taken on a similar look to Tarbles. This must have been Raditz's Nightwalker side coming out.

He watched as the other man looked terrified. He must have witnessed what the boy had done before, now he was intrigued. Raditz had said that he needed to be close to his victim.

The man seemed to be looking for an exit, but there was no way out. He would either face Raditz or the angry mob.

He was a little confused as Raditz placed his hand on the man's head, the man's eyes taking the same red color as the aura began to form around them.

The man quickly moved his hands to the top of his head, as most as if he was trying to pull himself away from Raditz's hand. But he couldn't get away. Something was holding him in place.

A piercing, chilling scream filled the air. He even had to cover his ears as the sound rose to unbearable levels.

Seconds later, the man fell to the ground limp. Raditz turned back to him, wiping the blood on his hand onto his jacket. "We have two days. Your father knows we are here. They plan to attack at dawn. If we are going to go through with your plan, we must prepare immediately."

He nodded to his friend. This was damning news, but he was glad to have it. He turned back to his followers. "The time is now. Surrender your tails or wait for the cold hands of death. If you think that my father will spare you or your families, you would be wrong." He looked around the room, glancing over their faces. "I ask again; will you fight or will you fall?"

He waited hoping that they would consider his plan. If they didn't the days ahead would be dark. Finding a new base would take time.

A yell made it through the crowd and he looked to where it came from. Kakarot's mother was standing there, her tail in her hand, freshly ripped from her backside.

Then another yelp echoed across the room and another. Soon the room was filled with the sound of pain and he started to notice that a pile was beginning to grow on the floor.

He smirked to himself, this was perfect.

Behind him he heard a slight intake of air and turned again to face the man, who strangely enough, was alive. He looked back over to Raditz questioningly.

"If you want more Nightwalkers, you need to let more of our kind get in a kill." With that the older boy walked forward, grabbing a hold of the man's armor and dragging him across the floor. "Where is my med team?" Raditz called out.

Through the crazy crowd of people, the Prince watched as the children that were by Tarble's bedside came forward. His smirk became darker as he looked back to Raditz. "When will they be ready?"

Raditz smirked. "Give me till dawn."

"Good. What about the senzu?" He asked, knowing how little time they how had.

"They are complete. I will make sure that they are issued before tomorrow night." Raditz said.

"Excellent." He looked down at the man, seeing his terrified face. "Have them take their time. If you can get any more information that we can use, do not hesitate to get it." The five were surrounding them. "I will leave this matter to you." He gave them all a cocky grin. "Have fun."

They all gave him a nod and with that Raditz and a couple of the boys started to drag him from the room. The man seemed to out of it to struggle, so it was almost as if they were carrying a rag doll.

Tarble came over to him, looking over the scene around them. "I've never seen that power of Raditz's. I wasn't expecting that."

"He said that he needed to be close. I never thought that he would have to be that direct with his victim." He said deep in thought.

"I will start on some new scouters. Parle left me her blueprints from the ones she made." Tarble stated.

"Good. We will need to figure out their movements. You don't need to give one to Kakarot though." He grinned.

Tarble looked confused. "Why? He will need to track the enemy."

"It's as I said. "He crossed his arms over his chest. "Kakarot can sense others, he won't need a scouter."

Tarble nodded. "That just means that I have one less to make. What team are you going to have Kakarot on?"

"He will be on the ground. Its time I trusted him on his own. He proved himself on Earth. He can do this." He said watching as the boy got his tail pulled off by his father. Almost laughing as his eyes shot forward due to the pain.

"I know where you are going….what about me?" Tarble asked.

He smirked. "You and the other Nightwalkers will be heading down to the where the Tech-Techs are being held. They have to be somewhere in the palace."

His brother's eyebrow raised. "Why do I have to find them?"

He laughed. "Well if you are going to be their King someday?"

Tarble blushed. "I never said anything about that."

"Well if you are going to mate with their Gure. You might as well own your new title and position." He teased.

He could see the look of horror on his brother's face. "I…I never thought…"

He laughed. "Sure, you didn't."

"How do I..?" His brother stuttered.

"Don't over think it. We still have to conquer our father. After that we can focus on the rest of the galaxy." He said, looking up at the massive pile of tails.

"It's going to be all ours, isn't it?" Tarble asked.

"Yes, and nothing will stand in our way."

To Be Continued…

 _Author's Note_

 _Plot progression, lol. Sorry about the late update. I had a few internet problems. The alternate Tarble fic should be starting up this week. The alternate Raditz one has already started._

 _If you have time, leave a review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	54. Chapter 54

The others looked confused as to why he had them following him back to the med-wing. They looked even more confused as they looked at the traitor that he was dragging there.

As soon as they got there, he got into one of the cabinets. Taking out multiple drugs and different medical equipment.

"What are we doing with this slob? Why didn't you just get rid of him out there?" Spina argued.

He stopped himself from chuckling. This really wasn't a laughing matter. "How old are all of you?"

He could tell that they were all confused by the random question. "What does that have to do with this moron?" The girl said annoyed.

This time he did chuckle. "Well, I was just wondering if I was going to be doing this a little early, even though my brother, the princes and I kind of did it at a younger age. You all look older than that though."

He watched as one finally seemed to get what he was saying. "You're asking if we are ready to get our first kill." Brus stated.

He smirked, watching as they all looked at him in shock. "Once you get in your first kill, you may be able to use the same power that Prince Tarble and I can use. It is up to you, if you think you are ready, go at it."

"You really think that we could be useful?" Cela asked.

He shook his head. "You already are useful, but if you wish to fight by my side in the upcoming raid, it would benefit you."

They seemed to look amongst themselves as they debated their decision.

"Just don't take this lightly. You will always remember your first kill." He said, walking over to the man that was shaking his head. He was starting to regain some his cognitive functions. He sighed as he grabbed a syringe and started filling it up with a sleeping agent. The last thing he needed was for the traitor to get back to his normal levels.

He heard a couple of steps behind him and he turned his head around to find that all of them had walked forward. He felt himself smirk.

"Where do we start?" Brus asked.

"Where do you think you should start?" He asked, stabbing the man with the needle. They all looked really confused. He should have known that they would not truly understand what to do. They didn't grow up where he did. "A couple of you need to move him over to that table over there and tie him down." He watched as two came forward and began to start moving him over to the table. "Now I'm not going to tell you all what to do after you get him strapped down. It will be up to you to figure out how you wish to end his life. Think of this as a learning experience. Take your time and learn all you can about our anatomy."

They all seemed to hang on his every word, once again saluting him before starting on their task.

He watched as they all grabbed some of the equipment from behind him and he walked over and to the man. Over the years, he had perfected the toxin that he had used on Zera. Now a days, he kept it on him at all times. He figured that he could use the same syringe for this. The victim wasn't going to live anyway, so it wouldn't matter. "What I'm about to do, do not do this on a living subject. I am only using the same syringe because this trash will be dead when we are done." He filled up the syringe with the blue liquid and stabbed him in the arm. He watched as the man's eyes flashed open and his mouth opened as he let out a scream. "I know it may be a little jarring, but on the battlefield you will have to able to kill walking, talking people. You will have to listen to his screams and get used to them. Can you do that?" He said turning back to them.

They nodded.

"Then have at it."

* * *

He looked around him, making sure that none of the girls got too close. As much as he was excited about the upcoming battle, he couldn't get what Raditz had told him off of his mind.

As he walked down the hall, he could smell some stale odor. Going into one of the large rooms, he could see most of the adults had some strange kind of glasses. They all seemed to be celebrating the oncoming battle.

He wondered what they were drinking as it didn't smell all that great, but he was pulled over to one of the tables by one of the random males and a glass was placed down in front of him.

He stared at if for a couple of seconds before shrugging and downing it in one gulp. It stung the back of his throat but it wasn't that bad.

Someone walked over and refilled his drink, which he gulped it down again. This time he felt a little dizzy and tried to stand, resulting in him almost hitting his head on the table.

"What are you doing in here?" He heard the familiar voice, but his mind didn't register who it was.

Everything continued to spin as he felt someone take his hand and start to lead him away from the room. "Where are we going?" He couldn't help but laugh, everything seemed funnier while he was in this state.

"Goku, I swear, what am I going to do with you?" Now he knew who it was. Only one person called him Goku and would be this stern with him.

"Come on Chichi, loosen up." He said, trying to stand up straight.

She shook her head. "I can't believe that you went and got drunk."

"Is that what this is?" He stumbled into her knocking her against the wall. She blushed against him and he laughed.

She grew redder. "I'll get you to your mother."

She went to push him off, but he was feeling really drowsy. "You're going to be bride someday arent' you, Chichi?"

She froze up against him. "Well, I kind of have to have a someone propose for that."

"I'll make sure that you get to be a bride." He said falling back onto his butt and laughing.

"Do you mean that?! Are you going to make me your bride?!" She said excitedly.

He liked seeing her happy. "Yeah, Chichi whatever you want."

She let out a happy squeal, as she grabbed his arm and guide him to his feet. "Oh! I have so much to plan!"

She dragged him along and he was happy to see her happy. Whatever this bride business was, it must have been fun for Chichi to be so happy about it. And that was all that mattered.

* * *

He sighed. Making this many scouters in less than twenty-four hours would be a challenge but nothing that he couldn't handle. He had to make everything from scratch as he didn't trust Parle's original ones. He could just remove the tracker chips, but he had no idea what else could possibly be in there. She could have hidden something in them that he couldn't possibly know about. She was a crafty one.

As he started going over all of the plans and sorting parts, the door creaked open.

He was about to say something to Gure, but had to remind himself that it couldn't be here. She was being kept very far from him.

Instead, it was the girl of his brother's affections. Bulma gave him a smile. "Do you need any help? I'm pretty good at these kinds of things."

From what his brother had told him, she was proficient enough and he did need the help. "If you want, go ahead and start sorting the parts."

She nodded and started working with a speed that he had never seen before. "Are you nervous?"

He started putting one of them together. "Why would I be nervous?"

She continued to sort. "Well, you're all going into battle. What if you don't come back?"

He snorted. "My father has tried to have both me and my brother killed, he failed at both. He will fail again."

She smiled. "It must be nice to be so confident."

"As long as Vegeta is around, everything will be fine." He said, finishing up the first one.

He felt her looking at him as he started the second one. "The two of you really rely on each other."

He looked away from his work and watched her move around some of the parts. "What do you mean?"

She giggled. "Your brother is the same way. He said the same thing a while back."

He turned back to his work. "We need his strength and confidence. His presence raises moral and his words strengthen our resolve."

"While you're smart and prepared." She said, passing him a couple of the parts he needed.

He continued his work, even though he felt confused by her words.

"You helped him come up with the plan and you made sure that everyone would get on board with it. The two of you are a good team." She said, taking a screwdriver and starting on a scouter of her own.

He had never thought about it before. But maybe he was just as important to all of this as Vegeta was. Now that he thought about it, he was the one that urged them all to war. He was the one that made the rebellion while his brother was away. If he hadn't have done that, he wouldn't have the respect that he had before.

Hell, back in the old days, he had no respect at all. He was treated like garbage for the most part. But now, he was treated the same as his brother was. He was seen as a Prince of his people instead of a burden.

He went back to his work. He would continue to make them proud. Nothing would stand in their way.

* * *

He walked around the war room. Everything was falling into place. Soon it would be time to leave this place behind. They weren't here long, but he would make sure to remember it for the future.

He would learn from his father's mistakes. The elite class would be required to learn how to hunt in the future. The new elite class that is. From the way it looked, they would need to rebuild their society from the ground up.

He knew the fields had to be a mess and all the computer systems would have to be fixed. It would be a couple of years before he could go after his goal of taking over the galaxy.

As he finished his assessment, he went to leave the room, but was surprised to find Gure in the hall.

"What are you doing out here?" He figured that he would have to learn to get along with this girl. She was going to be his sister-in-law someday.

She blushed. "I wanted to talk to Tarble."

He rolled his eyes. "I thought we went over this. He can't see you for a couple of years. His hormones are a mess and the two of you are way too young to be mating."

"I don't want to mess with him. I just want to talk." She said sadly.

He sighed. "I can set it up for the two of you to talk with a scouter, but you can't be face to face until his hormones start to go down."

She seemed to perk up at this. "Is that why you can be around Bulma?"

He nodded. "I went through puberty a couple of years ago, although I wasn't the perfect gentleman when I started reacting to her scent."

She laughed. "You really think you're a gentleman? No, Tarble is the gentleman, you're the rude one."

He felt himself smirk. "Well, someone has to be. As the future King of this planet, I can't afford to look weak for a second. Our race is a proud one and I plan to keep it that way."

He watched as she looked down at the floor, playing with the hem of her dress. "You don't suppose that could show me how to do that. I mean with my own people of course."

He found himself laughing. "Why not, I have nothing better to do."

She gave him a weak smile. He could tell that she was trying to at least get along with him, and really if his brother was going to be ruling over her planet, she would need to already have a Saiyan code of ethics in place. "Where do we start?"

He rolled his eyes. This would take a while, but in the end it was needed. His brother's future ridded on it.

After that, it would be time to sleep. The last calm before the storm was upon him and he couldn't wait for it.

To Be Continued…

 _Author's Note_

 _Just the final preparations for the battle ahead. I thought it would be nice to have each of the main characters doing something different this chapter. I really wonder if Kakarot is going to remember that promise or not? Lol._


	55. Chapter 55

He didn't get much sleep. He was far too excited for the night ahead of him.

At the moment, he was out waiting for his soldiers to come to him. The room was already filling up and he had already seen Raditz and Kakarot. Pulling Tarble out of bed was a little hard as his brother was up taking care of the scouter problem. He had left Bulma to her sleep though. It made him really happy that Tarble and her were getting along.

"So you ready for this?" Tarble asked, still a little groggy from his lack of sleep.

"I've been dreaming of this." He stated as Tarble passed him one of the new scouters. He felt himself smirk for a second. "Put your scouter on and put it on the lowest frequency."

His brother looked confused, but did as he asked. "I don't see what….." His brother looked at him in shock.

He laughed to himself as he watched his brother begin to talk with Gure. He had promised the girl this. It would be the only way that the two of them could talk without putting them in any danger.

He walked away, giving his brother some space and began handing out the new scouters himself.

"Hey Vegeta." Kakarot said wiping his eyes.

"Why do you look so tired. You didn't have as much to prepare for." He said.

Kakarot yawned. "I accidently got into some alcohol. Mom wasn't too happy about that."

He couldn't believe that his young charge had gotten drunk. "How the hell did you get alcohol in the first place?!"

"Oh, some of the adults were celebrating the upcoming battle. I was curious." Kakarot said, rubbing his head.

He sighed. "Just don't let it get in the way of your work. You have a battalion to command." He said bringing up the attack plans again.

The younger snapped to attention. "I'm really going to lead them?"

He chuckled at the boy's excitement. "This will be your first mission as my Captain." The hologram changed to show the middle of the city. "You will be in charge group 2. Your group will be taking a lot of hits. Keep the ground forces from getting air born and make sure that my group can get to the tunnels under the palace." He looked back at Kakarot to find him absorbed in the plan. It looked like he was studying everything. He did have to give it to Kakarot. While he wasn't very smart, he did pick up on anything that had to do with battle.

"How many are on my team?" Kakarot said, analyzing the main street.

"Your team is the largest, over half of our soldiers will be with you." He stated, watching for any resistance, nervousness, or fear. He found none.

"Who is going to be in charge of group 1?" The younger asked, curiously.

He smirked. Of course Kakarot would want to know that. "I'm giving that task to some of the class 4's. Their job is important, but they will be used the least in this attack."

"Where will my parents be?" Kakarot asked.

"Your father will be with you, while your mother stays here. Both Raditz and Tarble will be with me until we get to a small shaft in the tunnels. I will be going up; they will be going down." He explained.

"Why are they going down?" The boy said looking over the hologram that was now showing the interworking of the palace.

He crossed his arms. "The rest of the Tech-Techs must be down there. That's where most of the help stayed and from what I learned from Tarble, they are the doing all of the servant jobs."

"Why free them? Won't they see you as a threat? You didn't treat their ambassador with respect." His young charge pointed out.

He smirked. "They were sold into slavery by their ambassador and had their royal family hunted down. They will be happy enough to find out that their princess has survived and that she was safely in our care."

His young charge cocked his head to the side. "I thought it was because you wanted Tarble to do that nasty mating thing with her?"

His eyes scrunched up. "Tarble wants to make her his mate." He watched the look of disgust on the boy's face. "Do you think that she isn't good enough for him?"

"Well no, I was just saying that mating is gross." The boy said, looking like he didn't want to think about it.

"Did your parents give you the talk recently?" He teased.

The boy shook his head violently. "No….I asked Raditz."

He couldn't help it. He fell to his knees in laughter. "So now you think that mating is gross."

The boy nodded. "Yeah, I'm not going to do it."

He chuckled. "You don't really get a choice. It will happen on its own. Besides, what about Chichi?"

The boy looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Oh come on Kakarot, you have to like her." He said, turning off the hologram.

"I do like her. She's my friend." He said.

He wasn't expecting that. "So you only see her as a friend?"

"Yeah, how else would I see her?" Kakarot asked.

He sighed "Never mind." The boy would see it someday. He would learn.

He turned away from Kakarot, to look over the room again. It was still filling up. Looking up at the clock, they were still on time.

Tarble seemed to have the scouter glued to his head and he couldn't help but smile as the boy blushed. When this was over, things would be easier on all of them.

It was still bizarre to him, 3 years ago he would have never imagined going to war with his father. He would have never thought that he would have found his mate on an unknown planet in the middle of unknown space. The idea of having Saiyans that weren't born to fight, being on a battlefield would have been laughable. His brother staying in that room, would have been normal. Raditz would have stayed with that crazy woman. Kakarot would have remained a weak soldier. They would still be under Frieza.

He took a deep breath. Soon, they would be off. And he would be going towards his destiny.

"You look like you have a lot on your mind." Raditz said, handing him a bag.

He opened it to find a bunch of senzu beans. "Are there any more than this?"

"Who do you think I am? There's a bag for every five people." The long haired boy said.

"Good." He attached the bag to the side of his armor. "I did want to talk to you about something else."

"What would that be?" Raditz said warily.

"I just want to know what you told Kakarot about mating?" He said almost laughing.

Raditz let out a chuckle. "I just told him the truth. Apparently, he couldn't handle it."

"That's an understatement. He says that he is never going to mate now." He joked.

To his surprise Raditz didn't seem to find it that funny. "I can see him fighting against it. Our parents are happy, don't get me wrong, but I don't see him being a family man with a mate and kids. He's more work oriented."

"What about me?" He asked. He was just as driven, if not more than Kakarot was. So why was Kakarot the only person that Raditz would think that wouldn't mate.

"You're a prince. You will be a King. You will need to have a successor. Without that, you may as well be forgotten." Raditz seemed to know his fear. "With Kakarot and myself, there are plenty of others to replace us. We aren't royalty, but members of the third class."

"You may have been born in that class, but the two of you have capabilities greater than that." He pointed out.

"That really doesn't mean anything. We could still be replaceable, even if we were born elites. There are other smart Saiyans, as there are plenty of skilled fighters." Raditz said, taking a strange bottle out of his pocket.

"That may be so, but your skills are up to my standards." He argued.

"That is true, both Kakarot and I know what you want and how we need to do it. But that doesn't mean that you couldn't find someone to fill in the gaps." The older boy said, taking a swig of something. It was then that he realized that the boy was drinking some alcohol.

"Are you drunk?" He almost yelled.

"No. That's my first drink really. I'm just preparing myself for this." The long maned boy sighed. "Like Tarble, I have never been on a battlefield before. This is going to be strange for all of us."

"All of you?" He said confused.

"My people from the med-wing passed their test" The older boy said, crossing his arms and leaning against the control panel.

He smirked wickedly. "So they are Nightwalkers?"

Raditz gave him a nod. "It seems that every Nightwalker is truly different though. Every single one of them have different abilities. Just like how both Tarble and I operate. I'll have to look into that."

"Speaking about smart Saiyans. Have you heard anything else about Onna or Zera?" He knew that this wasn't the best time to bring this up but it may calm the other boy's nerves.

"I've heard nothing." Raditz looked down at the floor. "From what I can tell, it may take me years to track her down. Unless I find any leads, I don't know where to start." The older Saiyan said dejectedly.

"Where was she the last time you saw her?" He knew that he needed to change the subject, but there was really no avoiding it.

"She was at the commission. As you know, she could get anywhere. They have stations all over the galaxy" The boy said, taking another swig.

"No. You really don't have to look." He said, taking the container from the boy and taking his own swig. "With time, she will come to you."

The older boy just nodded.

He looked back up at the clock. The room was full and it looked like everyone had their scouters. It was almost time.

He watched as his brother sadly turned off his scouter, giving him the signal that he was ready for this.

He nodded at Kakarot, who looked over at his team. He could see everyone filing into their squads.

"Vegeta!" He turned over to the doorway to find Bulma standing there. He couldn't help but blush. Chichi and Gure had refused to change out of their civilian clothes. He thought that she had made the same decision. But there she was in a set of female Saiyan armor.

He couldn't help himself as he flew over to her. "Why are you here?" She was sound asleep when he left this morning. They shared a barrack, but they had different rooms.

She blushed. "I just wanted to give you something before you left."

He looked at her still distracted by what she was wearing. She was made for the look that the armor gave her.

She giggled as she leaned in and gave him a small kiss, which he turned into a much more heated one.

He heard a couple of catcalls and froze in place. He forgot where he was for a second.

"Good luck." She said to him confidently.

He smirked. "I will see you when I return, my queen" He watched her turn even redder as he flew back to where he once was.

Everyone turned to salute him. "This is our moment of triumph. From here all of us fly towards hell with a vengeance. We will make our enemy fear the day that they chose to betray us. The day that my father tried to take my life, was not only an attack on me. But an attack on everything our race stands for. Tonight we will take everything from them. Giving them the pain and justice that they deserve." He looked about the room, looking over his entire army as readied themselves for him to say the word. "Tonight, we show them what elite really means. Tonight, we say to hell with your ancient ideas. Tonight, we take the first step towards building an empire that rules the entire galaxy!" Below him the roars and snarls of approval only served to strengthen his resolve. "Do not fear, the sounds of death. Embrace what you are. Embrace your heritage." The roars grew louder. "Tonight, we take back what is ours!" He turned his back to them as and pressed a button on a small console. A huge set of doors opened up, letting the moonlight come down upon them. No one changed into an oozaru as predicted. "Now let us strike fear into all that oppose us! Let us take our victory from their cold, dead bodies!"

To Be Continued…

Author's Note

Yes, I left it off before the battle. Trust me, next week's updates are going to be all action. And we also get another long speech from Vegeta (I'm actually follower of all things politics and not just from by country of origin. So I did some research into some different speeches before writing these.) Both the alternate Raditz story(the Middle Child) and Tarble story(Long Live the King) are up. They won't update as much as this one and this one is coming to an end soon. Yes, you heard that right. This story will continue into a third part which will mainly have the ending to a lot of different plot points in it. Not that I will be giving anything away.

Again, I hope you have enjoyed this story so far, as I have enjoyed writing it.


	56. Chapter 56

He scanned everything around him as they flew. Trying to sense everything around him. It was a little harder having so many Ki's present, but he had to figure out everyone's signature before they made it to the city. Then he could just find enemies without a problem.

Some of his group looked like they didn't want to be ordered around by a child and he could understand that. They had more experience than he did but that didn't really matter right now. Vegeta trusted him to perform to the best of his abilities and he didn't want to disappoint him.

As the finally reached the citadel, he looked down at empty streets. Everyone was where they needed to be.

He sent a signal over to Vegeta and they began their descent. Group one stayed in the sky, as he looked back he could see their shadows in contrast the how bright the moon was tonight. Its pure white was about to be tainted.

They landed without issue. The city was quiet and it needed to stay that way. It would be a lot easier to make it to the palace without making much sound. Behind him, he could hear the Nightwalker Saiyans being set down. They couldn't fly, so they had to be held. He could only imagine his brother's face at being held like a child, but he didn't have time for that.

He motioned to some of this team members, telling them to move forward. As they began to walk, he noticed a change in Ki. They weren't alone. He put his finger in front of his mouth as he crept around one the corners. He was small enough that he could still hide.

Someone was out. Someone he didn't expect. A couple of the elites were camped out on the streets. Their tails having been ripped out. They must have figured out how to fight at night then.

He crept back slowly. They all gave him their undivided attention as he started to herd them into their attack positions.

His father moved into his position and he could tell from his smirk that he was very proud, but he tried to not focus on that. He didn't need to be thinking that he already succeeded.

They were encouraged to use as little energy blasts as possible. It would alert more enemies to their presence.

He looked over to Vegeta and nodded as he moved forward with his groups, and they started to get into formation. Some stayed on the ground, while others, were going to be airborne. They would hide behind the buildings until he gave them the signal. Now they had to wait.

He wasn't known for being a patient person. He was always the one begging for food or complaining about not knowing things about his family. He hated waiting for anything.

But this was different. Here he was excited for what he was waiting for, but knew that the payoff would be better if he waited it out. They would get their chance and a well-placed strike.

Then he had an idea. He just needed them to turn around. It would only take a couple of seconds for them to attack after that.

He motioned to his father, who watched as he picked up a rock. Everyone seemed to be watching him, as he tossed it making it bounce off of the buildings behind the Elites.

Both men stood and turned and now was their chance, He gave the signal and those from that air came forward, slamming themselves into the two elites, knocking them to the ground. He then motioned his own team to stay where they were and moved forward, just as the elites pushed back the airborne team.

Taking control of both of their heads, he forced them back down with his Ki, slamming their heads down, forcing them to crack open. Blood splattered on his armor and face, and he turned to the rest of his team. Almost indicating what they needed to do.

To say that they looked shocked was an understatement. His own father looked stunned. Bardock had to know that he was beyond the level of an elite, but he could tell that none of them had ever seen an elite taken out so quickly.

But he didn't have time, he could sense movement. They knew that they were here. There was no reason to be quiet anymore. "They are coming. Prepare yourselves and don't show them any mercy!" He ordered.

Vegeta's group must have heard what he was saying and could sense the other, moving his group forward as well.

They didn't have the much farther to go to the palace and it only made sense to move forward.

He closed his eyes, as he reached out with his Ki, trying to get a count on all of the warrior heading their way. 30 souls were coming.

He growled. Looking over their number, he had more warriors, but they were nowhere near the level of what they were facing.

"I want at least 5 of you to one elite, understood!" He ordered as they came flying over him.

They weren't up high enough for them to have to deal with team 1, but they were low enough to start their attacks. Energy blasts rained down from the sky, forcing them back.

But he wasn't having any of that. He let out a snarl as he transformed into a Super Saiyan. He flew up and sending out multiple kicks and punches to those around him.

He smirked as one tried to get him from behind. He turned around quickly enough to grab his arm and throw him to the ground. From there his squads were taking care of everything.

Blood coated the streets and buildings. The screams and cries of death entered his ears and he felt at peace.

The few elites that were still airborne weaved in an attempt to confuse him. But he could see through it. Their Ki gave them away.

He twisted his body around, just in time for them to run into each other and for him to fire an energy blast at them, melting their skin on contact. He could smelt he burning flesh, but it only served to excite him more.

The sky was now empty. He could move back to the ground. Below him, every warrior was drenched, some had open wounds that were leaking down and mixing with the blood of the fallen. Both sides had taken a hit. But he was relieved to find more fallen elites among them.

He turned his head off, towards where Vegeta was and even though he couldn't see him. He knew that the Prince had to know what was going on.

The scouters had to being going crazy with the overwhelming number of power levels being presented at them.

He rushed down, to help the rest of the teams. They still needed to get to the palace and they needed to clear the way.

One of the elites tossed an energy blast his way, sending up some shrapnel to come up and graze his right across his eye at an angle. He felt his skin sting, as blood drained down into his eye. Almost, blinding him in his right eye.

He began to gain speed as he drove himself towards the man that had attacked him, just as the elite killed all of the warriors that were trying to take him out.

He stuck out his foot, driving himself straight through the man's stomach.

The battle around him seemed to stop at that. Everyone had turned to look at him, even the remaining elites. He could tell by what they had just witnessed; the enemy was starting to rethink its options. But it was too late for that. They had already sided with the King. Besides, if they were so easy to sway, then it would be fair to say that they couldn't be trusted in the future. You could never trust a traitor.

"STRIKE THEM DOWN!" He roared. Snapping his team to attention, just in time for them to get the final blow.

He was breathing hard, as he turned to face Vegeta. He had made his way over to them. The Prince took one look at him and the battleground around them. "Get your eye looked at." The prince ordered.

He shook his head. "Its fine. It's not really bleeding anymore." He powered down from his Super Saiyan form and turned back to his team, which was now awaiting his orders.

"Then at least take a senzu. You know as well as I do that that was the easy part." The Prince stated.

That he would agree to, taking one of the beans out of his pouch and tossing it in his mouth. He had to admit that they tasted horrible, but if it meant that his wounds would close up, then he would take it.

He looked over to his brother, who had been talking with the other Nightwalkers. He could already see the shock on the newer Nightwalker's faces, they had never seen what carnage actual looked like.

"Captain Kakarot, do you want us to move forward" He almost tensed up. This was the first time he had been called by his new title. It was strange to him. Just 3 years ago, he had no prospects. He was going to be nothing more than another weak third class Saiyan. But now he was the Captain over an entire army.

Vegeta slapped him on the back, bringing him out of the moment. "Start moving forward. Do not give away your location."

They saluted him before they left and Vegeta just chuckled. "Seems that my army is in good hands."

"Yes, we should be at the palace within the hour." He stated.

Vegeta nodded. "The nearest passage for the palace is only a block from here. After that, you are on your own."

He nodded. Before, Vegeta was watching his actions. Gauging if he was really ready for this. Now he had been given the green light. His spot was now secured.

The Prince made to walk away from him, but looked back at him. "Whatever you do Kakarot, you are not allowed to die. That is an order."

The comment was far more playful than he was used to from the Prince. He couldn't help but smile at the older boy. "You know it will take a lot more than a couple of elites to get rid of me. Your stuck with me as your Captain Vegeta. I hope you are prepared for that." He put a little bit of gentle teasing into his voice.

The other let out a laugh. "That's what I wanted to hear." Vegeta turned back around as he watched his group move off to the west. "Good luck, Kakarot."

He smirked, before flying up to reunite with his team.

* * *

He couldn't help but smile to himself, the boy had really grown. He was a fully accomplished warrior now.

Raditz was snickering to himself. "What's so funny?"

The long haired boy continued to laugh. "You look like a proud parent or something."

He grumbled a little to himself, trying to hold back his embarrassment. "We need to get moving."

Tarble was now laughing with Raditz and he cursed himself for showing those emotions.

They were getting closer to their target. The tunnels were just a head.

As they walked around another empty street, he could see the opening come into view. To anyone else, it would just look like a sewer pipe. To him and Tarble, they knew it was a gateway in. One that they would be closing off when they got into power.

They got into the sewers without incident. The stench was remarkably bad. No wonder Tarble got sick from getting this shit in his wounds.

He turned on his scouter, making it light up the pipes around them. It wasn't much to look at either, but it would do.

He told them to remain quiet as they made their way up the palace. The only sounds that could be heard were the sloshing of feet in the water and the small rodents that were running around.

He smirked to himself, when he noticed the familiar text on the wall. This is where he and his brother would part ways.

"Remember the plan." He stated to Tarble and the other Nightwalkers. They all seemed to nod, except Tarble. Instead his brother just gave him a smile. "What?"

His brother kept smiling. "Soon brother."

"Soon what?" He said confused.

Tarble chuckled, before turning to Raditz. "Go on ahead."

The older nodded, before walking off with the other Nightwalkers.

Suddenly, he felt a small punch to the face. It didn't hurt at all and Tarble looked amused as he stood there after that. "Give that to dad for me, only with just a little more power."

He felt himself smirk. "Will do."

"Good. I will see you when this is over." Tarble let out a strange laugh. "King Vegeta."

He almost froze as he heard the term. Something about having the same title and name as his father didn't sound right. He kind of wished he wasn't named after the man.

Tarble must have seen his discomfort. "Of course, I think Emperor Vegeta sounds better. Don't you think?"

He felt himself smirk. "I think that is a grand idea, King Tarble." He couldn't help but laugh at all of this. Here they were getting ready to run into hell, possibly walking towards their own deaths and they were cracking jokes.

Both of their teams had moved on without them and now they just stared at each other.

He watched as his brother stretched his arm out to shake his hand. He felt himself grin as he took his brother's hand and pulled him into a hug.

"Vegeta?" Tarble questioned.

"Come back alive." He whispered before he let go.

His brother nodded. "Trust me, the only royalty leaving this building in as a corpse will be our father."

"Good." He turned to walk away towards his destiny.

"Vegeta?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't get to die either."

He felt himself laugh. "I don't plan on it."

To Be Continued…

 _Author's Note_

 _I spent a lot of time on Kakarot this chapter, mainly because he has a major rule now and he didn't get that much time as the focus during the rest of the story. So now that we are in the tunnels will Vegeta and Tarble get to their destinations? How will Kakarot continue to hold up now that Vegeta is no longer watching him? How will the Nightwalkers come into their new roles and what kinds of powers do they have? I guess you'll have to wait until next time._


	57. Chapter 57

He turned to Raditz, as they headed downward. He had never taken this route before, but he would trust his brother's words. There had to be an opening down here.

"How do you think they are going to react to you? They did see you kill one of their own?" Raditz asked.

That he didn't know. They seemed fearful of him and he knew gaining their trust would be hard. "It will take time, I'm sure of that. But in the end, they really don't get a choice. Gure and I have chosen each other and they will have to live with that."

His friend laughed at him. "You know, it's nice not being the only one going through this puberty shit. Now you see how crazy it is."

He gave Raditz a small glare. "You really think this is funny don't you?"

"Isn't payback wonderful?" The older boy said, as they turned a corner.

He wasn't really fond of the tunnels after his last visit into them. Walking around was bearable, but he was having trouble with trying to keep his mind free of the pain that he had suffered.

He had to keep reminding himself that he didn't have open gashes or broken ribs. That and he had a group with him. Knowing Raditz, he wouldn't let anything near him, even if he was stronger than him.

Ahead the tunnel ended, this was it. The opening for the basement had to be around here somewhere. "Look for the royal symbol. That will be our key to getting in."

The annoying girl that was in his group was glaring at the rest of the group. She didn't look like she wanted to be walking around in all of this. "You don't even know where it is?"

"Spina hold your tongue." Raditz ordered and he watched as she blushed and looked away embarrassed. Had his friend not broken the truth to her yet? Or had he given up on Onna? He hoped not, he didn't know if he could stand this girl. Onna was calm, pretty easy to get along with, and she could be knowledgeable. This girl just got on his nerves.

The others had already started the search, so he stopped his train of thought. He couldn't allow himself to be annoyed right now. He had to get into the basement and free the Tech-Techs, then he could return to Vegeta's side.

Raditz could sense how uneasy he was. The looks that he was getting from his friend told him everything that he needed to know. He had to be more confident in himself. Both Raditz and Vegeta had confidence in him. It was time that he took their feelings to heart.

"I found it!" He turned to find Brus, who had taken apart a pipe near the ceiling. He had not even noticed that the boy had climbed up the wall.

Looking over the pipe in his hand, he could see that it was a fake. But now that they knew where to open the chamber up, they had to figure out where they would be. Which part of the basement were they going to be in and where were the Tech-Tech's being kept?

He estimated that there would not be that many guards down here. Gure's people were not made to fight, so keeping multiple guardd down here to watch them would be dumb. Most of the palace guard was going to be with his father. The rest of the elites, would be facing Kakarot.

He turned on his scouter and began to count the number of power levels. He was correct. There weren't that many guards down here.

He motioned for them to start opening the passage. He alone could handle them.

The door opened and he was met with the stone interior of his former home. He walked forward, bringing his power to the surface as he moved. The other's followed. And he could tell that they were doing the same.

They moved quietly from room to room, finding almost nothing. When they reached a locked door, he knew that this had to be it. The Tech-Tech's had to be here.

He turned to the others. "Break the lock." He ordered.

Spina walked forward and he almost rolled his eyes. This wasn't the time to be showing off. He was going to stay something, but Raditz stopped him. He figured that he should go with the older's judgement. He was the one that knew all of their abilities after all.

So he kept his mouth shut as she placed her hand on the lock. Her eyes becoming darker as the outside of the lock began to freeze. So she could control cold? He almost wanted to laugh. Her personality was already frigate enough.

With the lock frozen solid, she gave it a slight tap and it shattered. His brain started to the calculations of how cold it had to be for it to shatter like that, but Raditz smacked him on the back. Freeing him from such thoughts. He would have to think of that later.

Now he needed to open that door.

* * *

When he was told that what had gone on earlier was the easy part, he shrugged it off. But now everything outside was absolute chaos.

The city was burning, as energy blasts rang through the sky. Bodies from group one were falling down up on the battle below. Littering the ground with limbs and blood. The darkness of the night, was starting to fade as the sun began to rise. Lighting up the anarchy around them.

He had already transformed into his Super Saiyan form and was now finding himself going between both teams.

The number of wounded and deaths were skyrocketing as fight continued.

At the moment, he was running through one of the burly elites. Sending an energy blast through both of his legs, cutting them off at the knees.

The man's scream was lost among the sounds of blasts, cries, and broken city. He blasted the man's head, before moving on. It was almost as if the blood on his armor never dried. If he told anyone that his chest plate was yellow before, no one would believe him. It was almost as if it had been dyed the color of blood.

As he readied himself to start heading back to the sky, he felt something sharp and painful through his Ki. He turned quickly, to watch as a blast went straight through his father chest.

He watched in horror as his father fell to his knees. The elite in front of him was readying a punch, straight at his forehead. He could feel the power behind it. The elite was planning to remove his father's head.

He moved forward, fueled by his rage. Grabbing the arm as it was mid swing and ripping it from the man's body. The man cried out in terror as his blood dripped down his side. The elite panicked as he sent not one, but two energy blasts straight into his face. The giant fell to its knees, with two holes in his face, spouting smoke.

He turned to his father, who was coughing up blood. He quickly grabbed for the bag of senzu at this dad's side and found it empty. Had he really gone through that much.

"Kakarot….finish this without me." His father's cough sent blood onto his face.

"No, you can have one of mine…"

His father's hand silenced him. "You need those for yourself." His father's voice was barely a whisper.

"I'll be fine… you…" He felt tears start to well up in his eyes. "You need to get back to mom….that way mom…"

His father placed his hand on his arm. "Your mother is a strong one."

"What about me…. and Raditz….dad…we need you too…sniff." He couldn't help it. It was almost as if the carnage around him had stopped. Time felt as if it was standing still around them.

His father gave him a weak smile. "Neither of you need me. I have only caused your brother pain." His father's hand found the top of his head, almost petting through it.

"No, brother doesn't hate you! Raditz and I love you, dad! You can't leave!" He pleaded.

He could see tears in his father's eyes. "I am so proud to call you my son, Kakarot. Tell your brother, that I feel the same about him." His father coughed again. His body weakening by the second. "I have no regrets from here." His eyes began to close.

"Dad?" He tried to shake him, anything to wake him up. "DAD!"

He felt his own body begin to shake as he felt, his father's Ki disappear. His body stilled. He could no longer hear his breathing. His father was gone.

He dried his tears on his arm and reached up, removing the orange headband that his father had given him years ago. A slight breeze came by and he let it go in the wind. His eyes never left his father as he leaned down and removed the red headband from around his head.

He held it for what felt like an eternity. His eyes jetted around him, looking over the carnage.

The rage in his body began to grow as he tied his father's headband to around his head.

A thundering roar came from his lips as his body burst into a ball of lightening. An aura of yellow light surrounded him, as almost electric sparks came off of his body.

The anarchy around him froze. Both his comrades and his enemies looked at him in absolute terror.

He grabbed one the elites closest to him and the man practically cried out in horror as he gathered an energy blast together and fired it point blank at his head. The force sent the body out and left nothing but outline on the pavement.

He growled, showing his teeth. "WHO'S NEXT?!"

* * *

He was almost there. The throne room was almost in sight. He and the two other's that were in his group jumped out of the wall and made their way to the where his father was.

He was kind of shocked that there were no guards down here, but he could deal with that. They were all most likely with his father. That coward would need them.

As he ran up the doors of the throne room, something didn't seem right. Having no guards patrolling the halls was one thing. Having no guards in front of the throne room was another.

He opened the door and to his shock, the room was full of Tech-Tech's. Every single one of them looked at him in fear. "Are you hear to kill us?" One asked.

"Why are all of you here?" He asked, feeling a sense of dread go down his spine.

"The Saiyans moved us up here earlier." One squeaked.

He couldn't focus on their words. If they were here….his father had to be….."Tarble!"

He turned from the room, leaving the door open as panic took over every single one of his emotions.

How could he have been so stupid? Of course, he father would have switched places on him.

Fear drove him forward as he ran towards the basement. Hoping that he got there in time.

* * *

The door opened and he found the room without Tech-Tech's. Instead, his father sat there smirking at him.

He shook his head. This wasn't right. His father was supposed to be upstairs waiting for his brother. "Bastard."

"Come now Tarble. Is that anyway to greet your old man?" His father stood from his chair. The confidence in his voice was sickening.

"You tried to kill me!" His power had drained from him for some odd reason. He looked around and found he wasn't the only one. All of the Nightwalkers, were looking at themselves in confusion.

His father laughed. "That isn't going to work Tarble. It was never going to work."

"What are you talking about? How are you doing this?" He asked.

His father pulled an old book out from behind his cape. "Remember this?"

His father tossed the book at him and he remembered it from before. The hieroglyphs on the side gave it away. "Yes, but what does it have to do with…?"

"Open it up. Look inside. I believe you will find something interesting in the middle." His father said.

He looked at Raditz, who just shrugged at him. It was best to do what his father asked. They were powerless at the moment.

He opened the book up to the middle and found something shocking written there. Why was the Tuffle language was in a book that was mostly written in Saiyan hieroglyphs.

"Go ahead and read it." His father said.

He froze, looking up at his father. "You can read Tuffle?"

His father smirked. "I can do a great many things that neither you or your brother now about."

He looked back down at the writing and found himself in shock over the words. "Fear the Nightwalker." That was it. Nothing else.

His father laughed. "I know what you are Tarble."

"I don't understand. Why does it say that?" He said, searching his father for answers.

The King let out a sigh as he turned his back to him. "I have always known about you Tarble."

He froze. "What are you talking about?"

"Your mother died, enveloped in a cloud of darkness. You came out covered in that dark aura." His father started to let out a crazy laugh, as he turned to face him. "I wondered what it all meant, you were born without a power level so it made no sense. To shut everyone up, I killed all of the doctors present for your birth and locked you away until I had an answer. I got it a year after you were born. You were a Nightwalker. Something to be feared. So I kept you locked away from the world. Tried desperately to keep you and your brother from crossing paths. But my efforts were in vein. I wasn't the only one who had a Nightwalker. The reports grew, more and more children were being born without power levels. More Nightwalkers were coming into being."

"I don't understand. How is that a bad thing?" He said, desperate for answers.

His father growled. "The galaxy was almost destroyed because of the Nightwalkers. Your power has no limits. Therefore, it was too dangerous. Even the gods themselves fear it. I had to get rid of you, but Vegeta got in the way!"

Raditz growled. "That's why you sent Tarble to Zera's! I bet you were the one that slipped his existence to Frieza!"

"That's right. I was planning to send of you there. But you can see how that backfired in my face. Vegeta was always getting in the way, so I knew I needed to get rid of him. It was the only way to destroy you!" His father said pointing at him like he was some kind of monster.

"So what were you doing when I was here last time? You were being so nice to me!" He yelled back at his father. He was finally getting answer to why his father treated him so badly, but this did was make him more curious.

"I figured that you would either go insane from that room and kill yourself or let your guard down around me." His father chuckled. "But that doesn't matter now. You are here and powerless. I will make sure that that power doesn't return."

To Be Continued…..

 _Author's Note_

 _Ducks behind her couch to avoid pitchforks and thrown objects. Please hear me out, before freaking out about Bardock's death. You need to remember that this is a war. Not everyone comes home from war and unlike the actual series. There are no dragon balls anymore on Earth anymore._

 _Anyway, the next update will be **Tuesday** because I am going on vacation for a week. I'll be updating one shots and fixing grammar related issues, but not there will not be any updates here until the following weekend._


	58. Chapter 58

His mind was going everywhere as he made ran down the halls. He was getting closer to the basement.

He feared what his father could be doing to his brother. If he got there and something had happened to Tarble, he didn't know how he would react.

As he reached the bottom floor, he turned on his scouter. He wouldn't be able to find his brother or the other Nightwalkers, but if his father and any of his soldiers were down here, he would be able to find them in seconds.

The scouter beeped and he registered the power level. It was his father; no one else would have a power level that high.

He turned a corner, to find a door open. This had to be the place. He made to walk forward, but froze when he heard his brother's voice.

"You still haven't explained how you are blocking my power!" Tarble stated, he sounded alarmed.

"That book has all of the answers, you Nightwalker scum!" His father growled.

"But we don't have time to read it. I still don't understand. You said that the Nightwalkers almost destroyed the galaxy thousands of years ago. How is that possible when there hasn't been Nightwalkers around since the times of the Tuffles?" He almost smirked when he heard the bite in his brother's voice.

"The Tuffles have been on this planet more than once and those cursed genes will never die." His father hissed.

Cursed genes? Did his father not realize that they were sitting on a gold mine. The power and knowledge that his brother and the other Nightwalkers had was essential for them to take over the galaxy. Did his father want them to stay at the bottom of the galactic hierarchy?

"But that doesn't matter now. You and the other's here will die along with this petty resistance!" His father said as he heard a small explosion, it wasn't much, but it caused the floor to rattle.

He dove into the room, changing to his Super Saiyan form in the process. He looked around, noting that his brother was still unharmed before turning to face his father. "No, it is you who will be falling today!"

His father was staring at him in shock. "This can't be! That is just a myth!" He watched as the man started to back up.

"The existence of the Nightwalkers was also a myth. You can't just cherry pick the myths and legends that you like old man. It makes you look ignorant." He said pacing back and forth, glaring at his prey. He had waited months to exact his revenge on this man and now that he was finally here. He was going to savor it.

"It won't matter, son. If your brother lives, everything that you have worked for will be taken away. Someday, he will kill you." The King said, glaring at his youngest.

He snarled. "You have no right to call me your son after what you have done!"

His father shook his head. "I did what I had to! Tarble is a threat to everything and you encourage him!"

"Unlike you, I can see his potential. Our kind where meant to work together, not to distance ourselves from each other. Are you truly okay with our race's pride being ridiculed? You think that we don't deserve to be the rulers of the universe?" His voice grew louder as he practically yelled this at his father.

His father growled back. "No, we don't deserve it! We have done enough damage! The galaxy has not yet recovered from the damage that was done by our kind!"

"What damage!" He roared. "The galaxy has always been a broken place! You can't just blame one group of our kind for that!"

"No, it was all them!" His father looked nervous. He smirked to himself. The King was hiding something.

"You're giving yourself away." He said smugly. "Everything your saying is a lie."

His father backed up against the wall. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Tarble's shock at his discovery. At the moment, it looked like Raditz was trying to figure out what was really on those pages. "Dad, is that true?"

His father growled. "This is why I needed to start over. Both of you are too willing to throw away our old ways, for what? A possible galaxy takeover?"

"That's right!" Tarble said, striding forward. Even though he had no power at the moment, he didn't look afraid. "There is no reason to hold onto the past. The future is more important right now."

He smirked. "It's as Tarble says. We can't afford to be at the bottom of the pack anymore. Holding onto the past has done nothing but destroy our kind. It's time to make some new traditions."

"Neither of you are thinking about the ramifications of your plans! The galaxy will not take this laying down! You are willing to cause a colossal war the likes that the galaxy has never seen!" His father roared at them. "I can't allow you to do that!" With that his father fired an energy blast at Tarble and he watched as his brother flew back into the wall. His brother's blood flew across the room, landing on his cheek.

The low growl that he was emitting was now a towering roar as electricity began to flow all around him. "YOU BASTARD!"

With that he flew forward, punching his father in the face. The man's head snapped back against the wall. He heard a crunching noise. He had broken his father's nose in one hit. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE DOING, VEGETA!" His father cried, covering his nose.

His voice calmed. "I know exactly what I am doing. I'm getting rid of trash like you!" He sent a ball of energy his father's way. The electric surge hit the man's leg and went straight through it. His father cried out in pain, but he didn't care. The bastard deserved it after what he had done to Tarble.

Behind him, he listened as the female Nightwalker grabbed a senzu out of her bag. His brother would be back to normal soon, he assured himself. Then he could continue.

The King found that he couldn't stand on his leg. He had made sure to aim for certain muscles. He was not going to get away. He would be punished for his crimes. He smirked as Tarble stood again.

"Brother?" The younger Saiyan questioned.

"We should do this together Tarble. He needs to suffer as much as possible."

* * *

Out in the open, the enemy was trying to flee from him. They had won. The moment he transformed into this new form, they had all turned tail and ran. The cowards would not be given any ley way. They would all die for their actions. His father and the other fallen would not die in vain. He would make sure of it.

He chuckled to himself. While the others stayed behind to keep a lock on the city, he went after the runners. They all thought that they could hide from him. The joke was on them. He could sense them. He didn't even need to look for their Ki. They reeked of blood, sweat, and urine, the latter brought a sneer to his face.

This was all for his amusement now. If more of this was in his future, he would never leave the battlefield. Hell, he would never have time to do that nasty mating thing that everybody around him was getting into. He could live his life fighting and that would be enough for him.

As he turned around another corner, he smelled one of his foes. This time cowering just behind the door of one of the buildings. He felt his blood boil as he looked down at his prey.

His new role as Captain had its benefits. He would purge this world of those that opposed him and his prince. Those that stood in their way, were starting to run out of time. Once they were done here, it was onto the galaxy. He could hardly wait.

He flew down, just as the elite began to run. His expression was wild as he tore his enemy limb to limb.

The man's screams were like music to his ears. This is what he was trained to do. This is what he always wanted to do. His prince had always known what he wanted. And for the first time, he knew it as well.

* * *

The other Nightwalkers had stood, surrounding his father. He was busy thinking over his brother's words. Vegeta really wanted him to help him kill their father.

The man looked horrified, but that didn't mean that he didn't wasn't livid with the man. After trying to kill him again, there was no way that he was going to go easy on the King.

"Both of you will regret this!" His father cried as Vegeta blasted both of his arms, getting rid of the man's only weapons. He couldn't fight now. There was no way that he could attack them.

He smirked over at his brother, as Raditz walked forward. Taking a pendent of some sort out of their father's pocket. His best friend put it in his hand. "We need to destroy this. Our power will return once its destroyed." The older boy stated.

He looked it over, noting the Tuffle language all over it. He smirked to himself as he tossed it on the floor and looked up at Vegeta. His brother smirked, before sending out a blast at the pendent. He laughed as it shattered into hundreds, maybe thousands of small pieces.

"We will need to track down the rest of those." Vegeta said.

He nodded. "Raditz, make sure that we get the remains examined. I want to know what that was made of." If he could figure out the element, they could stop anyone from making any more of those pendants.

His eyes looked over his father, as he allowed his mind to start going to work. Now that he understood his power, he was able to bring it to the surface with ease. His brother laughed as, their father began to scream. The blackness taking over his body in seconds.

"You really are nothing but a stain on this world. The only decent thing that you have done is provide the seed for our existence." He spat venomously at his father as the man's body began to disintegrate. He started along the bottom and watched with a sick look of pleasure as his father's legs began to fade from existence. He didn't do it gently either, his father screamed as they burned and blood sprang from the open wounds he left.

"You will regret this day! Vegeta, you will regret betraying me!" Their father screamed.

His brother cackled next to him. "You think that I betrayed you? You were the one that tried to kill me!" Vegeta began to send blasts into their father's chest and he too began to laugh. They were taking out every bit of their rage on the man that had caused it.

"What about you Tarble? Do you really think that Vegeta will share everything with you?" His father's voice was labored from his blood loss.

He snarled. "Your words mean nothing!"

The body of the King began to slow. He knew it had to be coming. He stopped burning the man's body and began to cut off his air way. He smiled as he heard his father's struggled breathing.

As he heard his father's last breath, he watched as a single blast was fired at the man's neck and felt pure satisfaction as his father's head rolled down from his body. It was done. The King was dead. The planet was theirs.

Vegeta leaned down and picked up the head. The body was beyond recognizable. They had left the head alone. Besides being detached from the body and the broken nose, it looked untouched. Their father's tongue was sticking out and they both let out a laugh as Vegeta began to drag it out of the room.

"I believe that it is time for us to inform our subjects." Vegeta said, basking in the new power that he had.

He nodded, before turning to the other Nightwalkers. "I need the all of you to go to the Tech-Tech's. Vegeta and I need to tell the people that our father has passed on." He said with a sneer.

Raditz let out a snort. "What are we supposed to tell them?"

Vegeta chuckled. "Tell them that their Queen is safe and that they are free…for now."

Raditz nodded. "All of you, come with me." With that group left the room. Leaving him alone with his brother.

"So this is it, Vegeta. You're finally King." He said happily.

His brother gave him one of his rare smiles. "Both of us are King's Tarble. Now let's get out of here."

They laughed as they dragged the head with them out of the basement and through the palace. Leaving a long trail of blood that would need to be cleaned up. He wasn't worried about the rugs and carpets staining. They were going to redo most of the palace anyway.

They made their way to a room that he knew all too well. It was the same room that their father had held the funeral for his brother all of those months ago. Back on the day when this war started. How fitting that they were going to use this room now.

He noted how smashed up the windows were. The battle outside had to be absolute chaos. He turned to his brother as they stood at the door to the balcony. "Are you ready for this, Vegeta?"

"I was born ready, Tarble. Now come, it is time we took what is ours."

To Be Continued…

 _Author's Note_

 _I'm so sorry about the lack of update last Tues. I wrote out the chapter and then planned to post it when I got to my vacation spot. But sadly, there was no internet where I was going. The modem was broken._

 _Anyway, there are only two chapter of this story left. After that, I will be taking a small break from this before starting the third and final part of this series._


	59. Chapter 59

Kakarot smirked to himself as he looked over the body of the person that he had just killed. He was about to let out a sick laugh of satisfaction as he backed up, shook his head, and powered down to his normal state. "What...what have I done?!" He cried as tears began to slide down his face.

* * *

Vegeta smirked as they opened the door and walked out onto the balcony. There were plenty of cracks and some of it was missing, but for the most part, it was still intact.

He walked with Tarble over to one of the ledges that looked stable and glanced downward. The planet below him was in shambles. It looked like the fighting had stopped, but everything around had been destroyed. It would take them years to repair all of the damage. He sighed. Taking over the galaxy would take longer than he thought. Their home needed to be pristine before he started working on the rest of the galaxy.

His father was right about the other planets not backing down, but his father believed that there was only one way to do things. He wasn't stupid, the best way to go about this was to make allies that could be controlled over time. Forcing others to obey based on treaties and their resolve would be a far more fruitful in the end than a full scale war. He almost chuckled as he looked down at the head that was still in his hand. His father's warning meant nothing really. He would do everything in his power to keep them away from the idea of war. They had already suffered enough casualties on both sides.

As he looked downward again, he believed that that was the right decision. The people below him looked tired and bloody. He could tell that they were his fighters, even from this height he could tell the difference between the different classes.

He figured that it was time to announce their victory. "You have all done well! We are triumphant on this day!" He yelled down to them. It was almost instantaneous. The tired battalion below him had come to life. Glorious roars of victory flooded the city scape as he lifted his father's head up into the sky. Below him he heard them began to chant his name, referring to him as their new King. Beside him, Tarble seemed to fidget.

"Look at all of that damage." Tarble said, not taking his eyes off of the carnage below.

"It will take time to fix. But that won't stop us from our goals. We will prove our father wrong." He said confidently.

Tarble took the head from him. "What are we going to do with it?"

As he looked between both his father's head and the ground below, he knew what he had to do. "It will be buried, along with the rest of his fighters. I'll be sending out a party to go knock down some trees." There were probably quite a few of theirs that were dead. He would give them a proper send off.

Tarble nodded as they heard a small noise behind them. The Tech-Tech's were free and looked positively terrified.

One of them did come forward to glare at him. "You say that we have a queen that lives?"

Tarble growled, not liking the man's tone. "She is back at our base of operations."

The man turned up his nose. "There was no daughter in the royal family and even if there was, I would not follow some weak little girl." There were some nodded and cheers in agreement.

Tarble looked like he was going to pounce, but he placed his hand on his brother's shoulder, stopping him from doing anything stupid. "If you will not except her as your queen, then I believe that you will stay under our control. She was the one that bartered with me for your freedom." It was a lie, but he could tell that it worked as they started to murmur amongst themselves. He wasn't going to tell them that in 5 or 6 years' time, his brother would be their king. That would just be the icing on the cake.

The man looked like it was going to take everything in him not to yell at him. From how hostel they looked, he was going to have to send some bodyguards back with Gure. "We will take her as our queen, but that doesn't mean that we are going to bow to her every whim. Once she takes a King, she will be booted from power."

It took everything in his power not to laugh. Tarble looked angry at his side, but said nothing. His brother knew that they would eat their words. His brother would include Gure in the ruling of her planet.

He could tell that his brother was marking this Tech-Tech in his mind. Setting aside his characteristics for later. He guessed that this man would most likely meet a horrible fate.

"As much as I would like to continue this meeting, I have an obligation as the new King to make sure that my people are taken care of." He pushed a couple of buttons on his scouter. "Arrange for a pick up. Take the Tech-Tech's back to our base." He stated to the person back at base.

With that he walked away from the other race. His brother followed him. He probably couldn't stand being around the Tech-Tech's anymore.

"What foolish men." Tarble sneered.

He smirked. "They will pay for their stupidity, Tarble. Remember, they will pay in the end."

His brother smirked back. "They always do."

* * *

He walked onto the balcony with his group. The Tech-Tech's were quite annoying, but that wasn't what he was focused on now. The battle was over, now he had to find his family.

He walked by Vegeta and Tarble and looked down. He could not see the faces of those below him from this height and he felt uneasy. He hoped that everything would be fine and that his fears were just him being paranoid, but as the minutes passed, he could no longer hold back.

"Vegeta is there any way that you can call Kakarot?" All he needed to see was one person. He was surprised that his mother had not come after him.

"He didn't have a scouter. Don't worry about him. He will be fine." Vegeta said, trying to look calm. The new King was attached to his brother and he could see some worry in his eyes.

"You mean Captain Kakarot?" One of his subjects said, flying down from the air group. "He went after some of the cowards that ran off."

That was odd. The elites didn't look too scared of the Super Saiyan form. Why would they run from Kakarot? "Why did they run?" He said suspiciously.

The man looked kind of scared. "Well, the kid found a level above Super Saiyan. Most of our scouters broke as they were registering his level."

He couldn't believe it, looking at Vegeta, he couldn't believe it either. "There is a form above Super Saiyan?" The new King pondered.

"Yes sir, that's the only explanation. I don't know what happened for Kakarot to do it, but it must have been a dozy." The man reported.

Now he was starting to freak out again. Something big had to have happened for his brother to go to this new level. He had a bad feeling about all of this. Part of him wanted to know, but another part of him wanted to run from the truth. One or both of his parents had to be dead. He could think of nothing else that could trigger such a thing in his brother.

"Raditz? Are you okay?" Tarble asked, but he couldn't answer him. Not until he had answers.

"Give him some space, Tarble." Vegeta said, he could see that the elder of the two understood what was going on. The prince now king gave him a nod, telling him to go find Kakarot.

He spared no time, going back through the palace. His thoughts almost over powering him. The ground below only reminded him of the torment that he had faced at Zera's hand. The smell of blood and entrails along with what had to be urine coated the streets. Death surrounded him and it was almost like he was back in that hell again.

He didn't look where he was going, he only ran. He needed to get away from this place and fast. His nose stung as he continued to run. He had no idea where he was going, but he felt tears start to prick at his eyes.

He had no doubt that his parents could be dead now. The idea that he would never speak to either of them again was almost crippling. They had only become a family again 3 years ago. It was unfair. He was just starting to have a better relationship with his father. This just couldn't be happening.

As he reached as small clearing, he finally knew that it was. Kakarot was standing there, covered in blood. He looked exhausted. That new form must have taken a lot out of him.

He watched as his brother turned around, he was crying. "Brother, I'm sorry. I wasn't strong enough."

He pushed himself past his brother and found that he was looking down at his father's body. His eyes burned. "Have you seen mother yet?" He said trying to stay calm, but failing.

Kakarot sniffed. "She…she was ripped in two..." The boy said crumbling to the ground.

He felt angry, but not at his brother. He was angry at himself. If only he had tried a little harder at being close with them. Then maybe he wouldn't feel this regret.

Kakarot was a mess though and he found that he couldn't just stand here feeling sorry for himself. He had already made the mistake of not letting his parents get close enough. He wasn't going to let Kakarot slip away from him.

He walked over, grabbing his little brother into a hug. "Why don't you hate me…I let them die…" His brother sniffed. He was starting to noticed that that wasn't the only thing that was bothering his brother.

"They chose to fight, Kakarot. They died so that we could live." He said trying to comfort the other.

"But I saw Dad die. He wouldn't let me give him a senzu." The boy continued to cry into him. He looked like his mind was shattered to pieces, something must have happened while he was in that new form of his.

"Our father would have wanted you to live. If he didn't want a senzu, it was probably because you were low." He spoke through his tears.

"I couldn't….I couldn't control myself.." Kakarot sniffed.

The boy looked terrified. Was he talking about the new form now? "I heard about the new form you reached. Is that what has you so scared?" His brother nodded as he continued to cry. "Why are you scared of it?"

"I was so angry…I…All I wanted to do was kill…It blinded me to everything…." As he looked over his brother, he began to piece everything together. No, Saiyan would be that sad about killing someone on the battlefield. It looked like this form not only drained the person that was using it, but made them attack anything and everything in sight.

"Kakarot, tell me the truth. Were you the one that killed our mother?" He watched as the boy recoiled away from him.

"I'm a monster!" His brother was shaking, his reaction revealing his fears. "Mom loved me and I killed her." Kakarot turned his back and began to hit his head against a wall. "I don't deserve to be alive." His brother began to start smacking his head harder, if he tried to go any higher, he would crack his skull.

He moved quickly, grabbing his brother's hand as he tried to stop him from hurting himself, but Kakarot was too strong. If he didn't do something fast, he would lose the only family that he had left. As much as part of him wanted to hate Kakarot for what had happened, he knew that Kakarot didn't mean it. That it was an accident.

He needed to put his brother's mind at ease and he hated the idea as soon as it crossed his mind, but it was the only way. "I'm sorry, Kakarot." He moved quickly as he placed his hand over his brother's head and activated his eyes. His brother squirmed under him as he entered his mind. He only needed to find that memory. Kakarot could not continue with it.

As he searched, his brother's body went limp. His eyes closed as he fell asleep. The boy was too tired to do anything else.

The memory of both of his parent's deaths passed through his head and it took everything in his power to not use his anger. He listened to his father's final words and told himself that he was doing the right thing. Using his mind, he clipped the memory out at the beginning. Kakarot would not remember anything about their father or mother's death. He wouldn't remember that horrid form. All he would know is that their parent's died in battle.

He took a deep breath as he removed his hand and Kakarot came out of the spell that he was under. His brother looked confused. "Raditz? Why are we standing out here?"

He smiled sadly down at his brother. "You hit you head in battle. I guess you don't remember."

"What don't I remember?" He couldn't help it. He pulled his brother into a bone crushing hug and cried.

* * *

Tarble looked over at his brother as they started to dish out orders. The pyres were already starting to be built for their followers, along with the holes for their enemies.

He was about to ask Vegeta if he had heard any news about Raditz, when both his friend and Kakarot appeared. Neither of them looked very happy. He could tell that they had been crying. Both of their eyes were red and stained.

He watched as his brother came forward. He too could read the looks of grief on their faces. They must have lost both of their parents.

"I will set up a pyre for both of them. They will be given the best honors that I can give them." Vegeta promised.

"Thank you." Raditz said. "Kakarot, you need to go lie down. You've over done it today." His best friend said, trying to smile.

The youngest Saiyan turned to leave, listening to his older brother. "Before he goes, I want to know how he got to that new form of his." Vegeta said with a smirk.

Kakarot looked confused. "What new form?"

"You must have just hit your head too hard to remember." Raditz said, jumping in. "Maybe if you get some rest, things will start coming back to you."

It was then that he noticed that his friend was hiding something. Vegeta seemed to notice this as well, but neither of them said anything until Kakarot was out of hearing range.

"Tell me what you know, Raditz." His brother ordered.

The older boy glared at Vegeta. "Don't bring up that form again. It's too dangerous." He had never seen his best friend be this protective of his younger brother.

"So that form exists?" He asked.

Raditz sighed. "That form blinds you to your anger. You can't tell the difference between friend or foe. Kakarot doesn't need to remember that form or anyone that he killed while in it." His friend snarl could have coated them all in acid. He could even see fear in his brother's eyes.

"So you…you deleted his memory…" He said, looking over his best friend.

Vegeta looked like he was going to argue, but Raditz growled. "He would have killed himself if I hadn't and I don't want anyone trying to get him to remember. I've already lost my parents and the girl I love, let me keep my brother alive and sane!"

Vegeta backed up at that. "If that is what you wish, I will forget that it was ever a possibility."

He breathed a sigh of relief, as did Raditz. "Thank you. He should still be a great captain for you. I left everything except that alone."

His brother nodded. "Good, as for the girl. Have you given up on her?"

Raditz shook her head. "I know that she is out there, but finding her is going to take time. Zera will come to me when she wants to find me. I just have to be patient."

"Isn't Onna on limited time?" Tarble asked.

The older boy looked up at the sky. "I don't know. Those books only spoke about it if it was a medical procedure. What I'm doing isn't that. She may be able to be removed at a later date."

"What if your wrong?" He asked.

"Then I'll have to mate with someone else. I hate to say it, but I can't go running off after her. That is what Zera wants." Raditz said wiping some blood off of his face. "But enough about me. We need to focus on the fallen and the cleanup."

He wished there was a way to help his friend, but everything as crazy at the moment. "We should have everything taken care of for the fallen over the next couple of days. The cleanup is going to take years."

He looked over at his brother knowing him to be impatient. "We don't just have to rebuild. We have to make it better than it was before. Once everything has been put back into order, we can start on our plans for the rest of the galaxy."

He knew Vegeta would say that. "We could always get the ball rolling with a couple of treaties."

His brother shook his head. "No, at the moment we have nothing to offer anyone. We will have to build ourselves back up before that."

He had to admit that his brother was right. They were low on resources at the moment and their communications were down. If anyone were to catch wind of this, they would be over run in days. "So what do we do now?"

Raditz cleared his throat. "If we need resources, I can think of two places that would lend us a hand."

"Who?" Vegeta said cautiously.

Raditz smirked for the first time sense returning. "The Tech-Tech's and that Earth place that Chichi and Bulma came from. You said that the latter was full of resources. We could always use them."

His brother looked impressed. "And Gure could easily provide us with some supplies until we can get to Earth for a haul."

Finally, things were looking up. It would just take time for them to move forward. He hoped that someday, he wouldn't have to worry about the future. Time. That's all they needed.

To Be Continued….

 _Author's Note_

 _Yes, I killed Ginne too. Runs and hides. But now Kakarot doesn't remember what he has done. If his memory returns, how will he react? Will he hate Raditz?_

 _Anyway, the last Chapter should be up tomorrow. I can't believe that this is almost done. It is my largest project to date and I appreciate anyone that has followed this story and continues to follow it._


	60. Chapter 60

It was a somber evening as they finally had all of the pyres set up. They had wasted no time in getting their enemies buried. They left their plots unmarked as was the tradition.

Next to him, Bulma was standing their holding his hand as the first wave of bodies were set ablaze. He had warned her that it wouldn't be pretty, but she insisted on being by his side, so he couldn't say no.

The oncoming night was filled with nothing but the sound of cracking wood from the fires and the cries of loss as families put their loved ones to rest. He had chosen to leave both Kakarot and Raditz alone with their parents. Burnings were usually very private affairs; he didn't wish to interfere. Both Bardock and Ginne were given high honors for all that they had done. The two were the first adults to join his cause. They had put everything on the line and he would forever be grateful to them. They knew what they needed to accomplish, even if they would never live to see the day. He wanted Bardock as one of his advisors as well and it really put a damper on his plans. The man had a great knowledge and voice among the third class.4

Even as he thought this, it didn't bring his ease his mind over it. If only there was a way to bring them back.

But would Ginne remember what Kakarot had done to her. It didn't take long for him to figure out why Raditz was being so protective. If the boy had to erase a memory, it had to be something monstrous. Kakarot was a fighter and a killer, but he would have never been that torn up over the loss of a comrade…unless it was family. His father's death had to be the thing that triggered his transformation. His mother's death was why he could never do it again.

He sighed. Knowing what he did about this power, he wasn't sure that the risk was worth it. As the ruler of this planet, he had a responsibility to look after more than his family. He had to look after every one of his subjects.

He looked over to Bulma and saw that she was crying. "Can we please go and see Ginne off? She was so kind to Chichi and me, when we got here."

Looking over the sadness in her eyes, he could not refuse her request. "Remember what I said about it not being pretty."

She nodded. "That doesn't matter. She was my friend."

He reached down and scooped her up before flying up into the sky. Bulma would be able to calm down Chichi, who he knew was already there. Between her and Raditz, Kakarot would be able to move on. When they reached the clearing, he could see that they had no started yet. Looking at Kakarot he looked like a mess and Chichi didn't look much better. Raditz on the other hand looked very stone faced. The boy was clearly trying to be the stronger one right now.

As he made to land, they looked over at him and Bulma. The latter running to Chichi and crying.

Raditz gave him a small nod, while Kakarot just looked lost. He hated having to be the person that got them to move. "You know that you need to finish this. If you don't then they can't be put to rest."

Both boys nodded, but still remained seated. "It all seems so final." Raditz said.

He looked away from them to the pyre. It looked like Raditz had taken the time to sew his mother back together. "It is final. As much as we wish we could turn back time and bring those around us back, we can't. If there was a way, I would have thought about it before we went to war." He said keeping his eyes on the pyre.

"What about the dragonballs?" He froze as Chichi spoke. He had forgotten about the balls back on Earth.

Bulma looked at her sadly. "Wouldn't they have been destroyed when King Piccolo was killed?"

Chichi shook her head. "No, if Kami passed his position to someone else. They may still be there."

"What the hell is a dragonball?" Raditz said, curiously.

Finally, Kakarot pipped up. "It's a collection of balls that you can make a wish on."

He felt himself start to laugh and everyone turned to look at him. "Before we fought King Piccolo, the younger Piccolo was with Kami. I have no doubt that he would have passed his position to the boy."

Bulma began to talk excitedly. "If I can get my old dragon radar from the bunker, we could track down the balls in no time. The rest have to be in the base at Red Ribbon."

Both Kakarot and Raditz looked completely shocked. "You would really do that for us." The elder said. "You could wish for anything."

"It might be interesting to hear what lays on the other side of life. Don't you think? Besides, we have to go to Earth for supplies anyway." He was blindsided by a hug from Kakarot.

"That leaves the question though. What do we do with their bodies till then?" Bulma asked.

"I would think that we should keep them preserved till then. That why they have something to return to." Chichi said, the fact that everyone was agreeing with an idea that she had was boosting her ego.

"I will alert Tarble, the four of you will leave tomorrow morning." Vegeta said, grabbing Bulma's hand and preparing to leave.

"Vegeta, you're not coming?" Bulma inquired.

"I have to look over the reconstruction. Tarble and I are needed here. I don't think that it would be wise for me to leave. I just became the ruler of this planet after all." He could tell that she wasn't happy with his answer, but he had his reasons. He couldn't just leave Tarble here with the mess, it wouldn't look good.

"But…" He shot her a look that screamed no and she stopped in her tracks. He had already made up his mind and he would not be persuaded otherwise.

He gathered her in his arms again and they took off. The night sky was filled with the smell of burning wood and other things and Bulma was starting to look sick from it. "Cover your nose. It will smell like this for days." He said dodging away from the smoke.

"I hope that the dragonballs work." She said with a lot of hope in her eyes as they landed on the balcony of the palace.

"So do I."

* * *

He almost laughed at Kakarot as they made it onto the ship. Some of the guards had packed in his parents for the journey ahead.

His brother seemed in a better mood since they had made their plan. He just hoped that their mother didn't remember what had happened. It would undo Kakarot if he knew the truth.

"Raditz? Are you in there?" Kakarot said waving his hand in front of his face.

He chuckled. "Yeah, I just got something on my mind."

Kakarot looked up at him questioningly. "Are you excited to see mom and dad again?"

He nodded, knowing that would be enough to satisfy his little brother. "Why don't you go and see if everything is packed up. It's going to take us a while to get there."

This time Kakarot laughed. "I know that, I was there once before, remember."

He ruffled his brother's hair as he walked over to one of the onboard computers. "I know, but we can never be too careful. If I remember correctly, you and Vegeta crashed onto Earth."

The young boy pouted, but it didn't last long. "Do you think mom and dad will be happy to see us?"

"I know they will be. Now go and look over the supplies. Chichi is already down there." He said.

Kakarot left and he watched him leave. He had no idea how their mother would react. It was hard to imagine his mother being mad at or scared of either of them.

"You worry about him." Bulma said, walking into the room.

He nodded. "Kakarot has not had to face the horrors that I have faced and I would like to keep it that way."

She frowned. "I would think that a battlefield would be enough to make anyone crazy."

"I have seen a world far more evil than that of a warzone. My brother, while a fighter, is still an innocent." He stated.

She almost laughed. "You sound like an over protective parent. Kakarot may look innocent, but I have seen what he can do."

His face remained serious. "So have I."

She looked intrigued, but after seeing his expression, she knew better than to ask.

Not wanting to answer anymore of her questions, he exited the ship to see Tarble standing there with Vegeta. The two probably wanted to see them off. His best friend waved him down and he walked over, wondering what the smaller boy had in mind.

"I ran a diagnostic check on everything. You should be set." His best friend said, happily.

That was good. They hadn't had the time to have the ship looked over before Kakarot and Vegeta left months ago. "I'll make sure to bring back plenty of supplies. After my parents are resurrected, we will have two more hands."

Tarble nodded as Kakarot came out with both of the girls. "Everything is where it needs to be, Raditz."

"I can't wait to see Earth again." Chichi said, happily. "I've been wanting to check on Master Roshi."

"Why?" Bulma said.

"Well, he was a good friend of my father's and Gohan. He did help us out a bit when I was younger." The girl said, surprising her friend. "Besides, I promised to go to see his sister, the Fortuneteller Baba."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Always looking around for your groom."

The girl huffed. "No, I just want to make sure everything is going to be okay, that's all."

Kakarot cocked his head to the side. "What is a groom?"

"Don't worry about it, Kakarot." Bulma said, clearly irritated. Before the other girl could argue, Bulma walked over and kissed Vegeta. "We shouldn't be gone for more than a month or two."

The boy kissed her back. "I will see you when you return. By then some of this mess should be cleaned up." The ruler then turned to him. "I want both of you to look after Bulma. Make sure that she is safe."

Chichi looked irritated. "What about me?!"

Kakarot looked at her. "Don't worry Chichi. I'll look after you too."

The girl blushed, but his brother seemed oblivious to what was going on. If mom was here, she would be gushing over how the two were acting. Kakarot may have been blind to it or resisting the idea, but it seemed like fate had other plans.

"Come on, we are wasting time." He said, giving Tarble a curt nod. "I hope the sendoff for the Tech-Techs goes well."

"I don't get to go." Tarble said looking irritated.

Vegeta chuckled. "Because that is the last thing we need right now. Give it some time. You and Gure will still get to talk to each other."

The younger royal scoffed. "Yeah, I just get to hear her voice. No video feed whatsoever."

He felt himself chuckle. "You know that the visual will only drive you to act on it."

"I won't be able to smell her though." The younger boy argued.

They all laughed once more before going their separate ways. It would be a while till they saw each other again.

* * *

He stood with two of his guards. They already knew what he wanted from them.

As the Tech-Tech's came forward, he could already see Gure leading them. They all still looked wary of her. But they would see in time that she would be a more competent leader than the rest for her family would have been.

"Remember to stay in touch, Princess Gure." He said, smirking.

She almost laughed. "It's Queen now, King Vegeta."

He found some of her follower watching the conversation with interest. They were probably getting the wrong idea about them. "Due to the problems on your home world, I will be send these two for your own personal guard. The ambassador has not been found yet and I think it would be best for you to have a guard at all times."

The Tech-Techs around them looked at the rather large men that he had chosen. Broc and Coli would do their jobs well. They agreed to this after finding out about his brother's affections for the new queen. Years ago, the technology that Tarble had developed saved their lives on the battlefield. They were forever loyal to him.

"Thank you for your help, King Vegeta." She said, looking around.

"Prince Tarble will speak with you once a week. After we get the cleanup done and finish reconstruction, I will send him to you." He promised.

Her smile quirked up a lot after he said that. "Tell him that I will miss him, will you."

"I will tell him. Trust me, he would kill me if I didn't." He chuckled.

The ship doors opened and her subjects began to pile in. "Thank you again, King Vegeta."

"One more thing. About that title. I think I prefer Emperor Vegeta a little more. My dad was King Vegeta." He said.

She laughed. "I think that was Tarble's idea."

He smiled. "It was."

"Then it has to be a good idea." And with that she turned and got on the ship. He stood there for a moment and watched as it left the planet. Tarble would have a million questions for him when he got home anyway.

* * *

It didn't take long after they landed on Earth for them to find the radar. Raditz seemed to be enthralled by the look of the planet. His mind was going to work as he looked over all of the different plants. It took all three of them to remind him why they were here.

After that, Bulma gave all of them directions. They all looked to still be at the base for the Red Ribbon army, which meant that no one had found them in the time that they were gone.

"I'll go. I'm the only one that can fly on my own." He offered.

They all seemed to agree with him. "You get the balls and we will get mom and dad's containers out." His brother said.

He didn't like the look of those containers, but Tarble said something about them being able to keep their parent's bodies preserved, so he kept his thoughts to himself.

The fly wasn't long from Bulma's old bunker and he was surprised that the place wasn't that well-guarded. Sure, Red Ribbon was gone, but that didn't mean that their base wouldn't have traps all around it.

As he made his way down one of the halls, he found himself a little disappointed. He figured that there would be traps and doors that he could have to blow up. But everything just opened up without fail.

He would have complained about it being a maze, but there were maps on the walls that were leading him to the main office. Bulma said that they had to be in the leader's office or room.

He didn't like thinking about Red Ribbon. He still remembered how they shocked him with those rods months ago. Their battalion was weak, but he kind of wished that he got more hits on them. It was nothing like King Piccolo.

As much as he liked the younger Piccolo, his experience with the elder version had soured his thoughts on the Namakian race. All he could think about was how badly injured Chichi had been when he had battled the monster. The girl really needed someone to look after her. Even if she could fight back sometimes, she was still weaker than most. He hoped that that bride thing would take care of it.

He stood at the door to the office and glared at it. There was finally a challenge for him. The door had a code reader on the side. Sure, it would take no time to blow it up, but it was something.

He blasted the door and smirked as the room filled with red flashing lights. A couple of guns came down from the ceiling and he dodged out of the way of their shots as he blasted each one.

He did a couple of flips through the air as he blasted the last one. He let out a chuckle as he looked at the floor. It was dotted with holes. So much so that it didn't look stable anymore. Good thing, he could fly. It would save them the trouble.

Just as Bulma said, there was a safe in the corner of the room. He knew that he had to do this at a level that would blow the door off, but not destroy the balls within. He would have to concentrate his Ki to such a low level. If he didn't focus. He would fail.

He closed his eyes. Remembering what Master Roshi, Gohan, and the younger Piccolo had taught him. His breathing slowed as his Ki gave him the answer. One finger. He only needed that to open the thing.

He came forward, letting the tiniest bit of Ki flow into his pinky finger, before blasting the safe. The door melted off in seconds and there they were. All four of the missing dragonballs.

He gathered them quickly before, blasting out of the window and back to Bulma's bunker.

The fly back felt longer, probably because he couldn't wait.

As he landed, he could already see the pods were open. Raditz gave him a smile as they landed. He set the balls down with the other ones and turned to Bulma. "How do we get them to work?"

To his surprise, Bulma turned to Chichi. "Did Roshi or Gohan tell you?"

The girl shook her head. "My father told me." He watched as the girl walked forward, looking up to the sky. "Rise Shenron and grant my wish!"

The skies went dark and the wind began to pick up. An almost blinding light shot up to the heavens and a huge creature sprang free from the light. A large green Dragon.

" **I am the eternal dragon. State your wish**." Its voice boomed.

Chichi looked over to him and Raditz. His brother walked forward. "We wish for our parents to be brought back to life!" His brother yelled up at the dragon.

" **It is done**." With that the dragon collapsed back into the balls and the balls lifted into the air before flying off in different directions.

"Where did they go?" He asked, kind of angry that they just flew off after he went after them.

Chichi smiled. "After a wish is made, they scatter across Earth and can't be used for a year."

He looked over to his brother, watching as he tried to figure out the science behind them.

"Kakarot?" He froze as he turned around slowly. His father had sat up from his pod. Looking at both of his children in shock. "It can't be. The two of you can't be dead!"

"Bardock?" His mother looked tired as she pulled herself up. "Where are we?"

His parents looked at each other, then the pods, and then back to them. Raditz crossed his arms. "We're on Earth. The two of you were dead and now you're not."

He watched as his father pulled himself from the pod as he tried to stand. His mother seemed to be doing the same. "What about the battle? What happened back on Vegeta?" His mother asked.

Raditz seemed to relax for some reason. "The battle is over. The King is dead, and Vegeta and Tarble are starting to rebuild everything. We came here to revive you and get supplies."

He had had enough of just standing and pounced forward. Jumping on his father. "I thought you weren't coming back!" He tried to tell himself that he wouldn't cry, but the tears started flowing anyway.

His father caught him and hugged him against him. "Neither did I." His eyes had gone all glassy. Behind him, he could see his mother coming forward, only she went to hug his brother.

Raditz seemed a little embarrassed, but he hugged her back. He didn't know how his brother could be so stoic about all of this. The rest of them had already broke down and were crying. Even Bulma and Chichi were crying.

Bulma was the one that had to brake everything up though. "We are going to have to gather some things tomorrow. How about we take the night off and celebrate instead?"

He couldn't have agreed more. "Mom, Dad, can we sleep in a mound like we did when Raditz came home?"

His mother took him from his father, squeezing him tight. "I don't see why not."

Bulma and Chichi kept their distance from them that night, they must have thought it funny how they all were able to sleep in a pile like that. But he was happy. Now that his parents were back, everything would be fine.

* * *

Raditz woke up early and smirked down at the mound. He was still a little on edge after what had happened.

His mother showed no sign of remembering what Kakarot had done, but that didn't mean anything.

He decided to walk out to a nearby lake. He wanted to look over somethings and send the info back to Tarble. Some may think he was being guarded, but this was important. This was important. He would see his family after they woke up.

As started to document some of plants down, he heard something behind him. He turned to look and found his mother looking down at him.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?" She asked.

"No, you can sit here if you want." She smiled at him and sat down.

"What are you doing?" She said, watching as he wrote down a couple of notes.

"Just taking down some notes for Tarble. Who knows, we may find something of interest out here." He said, not looking away from his notes.

"Do you really want to do this right now?" She asked.

He looked up from his notes. "No, I wanted to ask you something actually."

He watched her face change a bit, like she knew what he was going to ask. "What do you need to know? What it's like to die?"

While that was interesting, he needed to know if she remembered. "Do you remember how you died?"

She looked at him panicked. "Why would you want to know that?" She said getting a little defensive.

He sighed. "I know what happened mom. You don't have to hide it from me."

She looked at him confused. "If you knew, why did you ask?"

"Because, Kakarot doesn't remember. I want to know if you will hold it against him?" Even though this was his mom and he had just gotten her back, he felt that he needed to protect Kakarot from her. He didn't know if he could trust her.

She looked down into the water. "He wasn't himself. I barely recognized him. No matter what, he is my little boy. I'm just surprised that he was so happy to see me. It thought he would be scared of me." She said giving him a smile.

He looked off into the distance. "About that…"

He felt her hand on his shoulder. She knew what he could do. "Raditz,,,you…you didn't…"

He looked back up at her. "I'm sorry. If I didn't I feared that I would lose him too." He expected her to punish him.

He could see her eyes filling with tears as she launched forward, giving him a hug. "I'm just so happy to see both of you alive. It makes me happy that you wanted to protect him."

He couldn't do it anymore. He broke down. "We still can't say anything. I don't think we can even tell dad." He began to cry for the first time since their return.

"It will be our secret then." She said, pulling away from him.

He nodded, looking back down at the lake. "Do you want to help me get some fish for breakfast? The others should be up soon."

His mother nodded and they got to work. They would take this secret to their graves if they had to. Kakarot didn't need to be burdened with it.

* * *

Tarble laughed as they sat in the study of the palace. It had been a month now and they could finally see the roads again. The cleanup would be done by the time the others got back.

He was in a good mood. Last night, he was able to talk with Gure. They didn't say much, basically because she was busy fixing a lot of the issues that she had back home. But just hearing her voice put him in a good mood. His brother on the other hand.

"Vegeta, you need to stop pacing. They will be back soon." Tarble said, laughing at his brother. He had gotten used to seeing Bulma and after a month of separation, he was starting to get irritable.

"They should have been back by now." Vegeta said, grumpily.

"They had to get supplies. It takes time to fill a ship. I mean with all of the hunting and foraging that they have to do, I wouldn't be surprised if it took them another month to get back." He teased as Vegeta glared at him. "Why don't you look over my plans for the reconstruction then. It will take your mind off of Bulma."

His brother sighed as he looked over the plans on the screen. He had fixed their communications a week ago and now everything was running again.

Just as he thought, as his brother looked over the plans, he began to smirk. He knew him far too well. Anything pertaining to their future would be enough to distract his brother from his melancholy. He just hoped that Bulma would return soon. He was starting to run out of ideas.

* * *

He looked around the camp one last time. They had filled the ship with whatever they could find. Now they were just waiting on Chichi. She said something about visiting some fortuneteller.

He paced a little, wondering if he should go after her. But just as he was about to leave, she emerged from the forest around them with a smile on her face. She seemed really happy to see him. "You didn't have to wait for me out here, Goku."

"I know, but you seem to attract trouble." He said.

He expected her to be mad, but she continued to smile. "I think the others want us to get on the ship. I did waste a lot of time finding Baba."

He cocked his head to the side. "Why didn't you just ask me to help you find her? I can sense Ki."

She put her hands out defensively. "I can't do that! I was told that I had to find her on my own."

"Kakarot, if you and Chichi don't get your butts in this ship, I'm going to leave you here!" Bulma yelled from inside the ship.

Both of them turned and ran. They both knew that Bulma was on edge. She wanted to see Vegeta as soon as possible.

He turned his head back to look at Earth once he was on the ship, smiling back at it. Maybe someday he would come back here. He didn't know what for, but he kind of like the planet.

In seconds, the ship blasted off and they all headed back home.

He paced on the corner of the platform. They had received the ships signal earlier and Tarble told him that they would be landing soon.

"Stop pacing, Vegeta." His brother said. Tarble was getting a kick out of his nervousness. Maybe, he should cut off the boy's transmissions with Gure for a couple of weeks. Then he would realize the amount of torture he was in. He seriously didn't know how Raditz did it. He felt a little guilty for not letting the boy research more on where Onna was and having him focus on the senzu beans instead.

He watched as the ship descended and really hoped that Bulma wasn't flying that thing. One of Kakarot's parents should have had the knowledge for that.

It came down smoothly and he sighed in relief, gaining him a look from his brother that he didn't answer.

The hanger opened and she was the first one off of the ship, running straight for his arms. He caught her, almost not believing that he was feeling her warmth again. He leaned down, kissing her like it was the first time and she held onto him, keeping him close.

He heard a couple of whistles, making fun of him, but he didn't care. The time away had cleared his senses of her scent and he wanted it close.

She pulled away slightly to look him in the eye. "I'm glad to see you too, Vegeta."

He smiled at her as Kakarot snickered with Tarble in the background. "Do you think that he's going to try and eat her again?"

"Kakarot, that's not how it works." He heard the boy's mother say.

"I don't want to hear about it!" He almost laughed as the boy covered his ears.

The boy's father tried to remove them, but found that his son was too strong. Laughter filled the platform at the display.

He could already see it. Soon, everything would return to normal. They would rebuild. The galaxy would belong to them in time. He would have everything. His brother would rule with him. His best friend would be his captain. His adviser was alive. His queen and any heirs she birthed would be at his side.

He smirked as he looked over at Raditz. None of this would have happened without him. If that boy had allowed Zera to kill him all of those years ago, he wouldn't be standing here with his new title. Tarble would have never would have found his voice. Kakarot would have remained weak. And he would have never met Bulma. Whatever the boy wanted, he would easily give it.

As he looked passed them at the night sky, he smirked again. He had done this month's ago, back before this fight began. Back then he would have said that would have been impossible of him to be the ruler of his planet this early. That his father would still be around and wouldn't have dreamed of killing him. That things like Nightwalkers and Super Saiyans were just legends.

It's strange how time works. How every action could change the outcome of the future. They would have to play their cards right. He would use time to his advantage. It was the only way he could make his new age a reality.

The End….or is it?

 _Author's Note_

 _So that's the end of this part of the story. I hope all of you enjoyed it. I know it was kind of cliche to use the dragonballs, but I love Bardock and Ginne too much and I still have plans for them in the next installment. Every story I write is planned out ahead of time and trust me, by beta reader has seen my note logs. Let's just say that there are about 20 for this story alone, all of which were separate files about 10 pages long._

 _I have already started the planning for the next story that is going to take me about two months to start working on, it will take place 10 years after this story. I'm going to be starting anatomy class soon and a lot of my time is going to be taken up by that. Once I finish, I should be back, but I will be working on my alternate time lines for this story. My school goes in quarters over semesters, so it doesn't take as long._

 _I want to give a huge shout out to everyone that followed, favorited, and reviewed this story. This was a huge project and it was great to see all of the support for it._

 _Below is the preview of the next part of the story, The Beginning of an Empire, about 4 paragraphs from each of our mains, along with something a little extra. Enjoy!_

Raditz: He couldn't believe it, surely he was mistaken. Zera had to be in control, so why was he smelling Onna? "Raditz…help me." She said as she was ripped back and the horrid smell returned. Zera touched the side of his face. "Raditz, love. You already know. She can't be saved. Why don't you just mate with me and get it over with. We both know it is what we want."

Tarble: To say that he was nervous was an understatement. It had been 10 years. The last time he had seen Gure was before the battle, back when they were just kids. The ship finished docking and he felt himself stand up quickly. Soon he would see her again. His could barely take it. He pushed his way out onto the hanger. His mind racing. He knew that he would not be able to stay calm when he saw her. He would most likely stake his claim once her smell hit his nose again, but he was fine with that. They belonged to each other anyway and he would destroy anyone in his way.

Vegeta: He didn't understand this wedding thing, but Bulma wanted one. It was some kind of Earth custom. One that needed Chichi to be present. He sighed. The girl had run back to Earth months ago. She was angry about something, he really wouldn't have cared, but Bulma insisted that she be there. "I know that this isn't really in your skill set, Kakarot, but you have to go and get the harpy." His Captain looked annoyed, but nodded. The boy was always busy and he had kept to his word. He had never gone through puberty like the rest of them. Sure, he had grown taller than him, to his dismay, but he had never had the urge to mate. It was kind of strange, but the man was against mating with anyone. Much to the annoyance of his parents, his mother wanted grandchildren and both of her children weren't cooperating. She would probably have to do with his own children, with how slow her own children were being.

Kakarot: He followed her Ki here. Why had she come back to Earth? Sure, it had been years since he had seen Chichi. The last time being 3 months after they returned from Earth the last time. Vegeta kept him busy, so he didn't have time to talk. As he walked toward her Ki, he found it surrounded by a bunch of other Ki's. He growled as he took to the sky. This was just like her, getting into trouble and expecting him to save her. As he reached the cove were she was, she was surrounded by a group of men all of which looked posed to attack her.

Extra: They had all been taken down, by children of all things. Their race would not take this humiliation anymore. They would get their revenge. Once they were free of this hell hole, the Frostian race would rise back to power. Frieza looked to his brother. They didn't care for each other, but this was the only way. They would take back what was theirs, after they destroyed the Saiyan first that is.


End file.
